BEWICK, Thomas, A General History of Quadrupeds (T[homas] Bewick and S[arah] Hodgson, Newcastle Upon Tyne), 1807

Imperial 8vo; pp. [portrait frontis.], x, 525, [1, ads].

Very good condition: neatly rebacked with recent endpapers; leather binding with gilt decoration, and all edges gilt; spine a little worn; internally very good, noting only some minor foxing to the first few leaves.

A wonderful copy of this work, featuring excellent impressions of more than 330 wood engravings by Bewick.

Begun on 15 November 1785 (the day of his father's death), A General History of Quadrupeds is the book that made Bewick's reputation. This 1807 (5th) edition is the first edition published after Bewick's dispute with Sarah Hodgson and is one of the best of all editions of the Quadrupeds (it was this edition used for the 1970 reprint). It was issued on 23 May, printed on Demy, Royal and Imperial paper stock; this is the finest of the three (Imperial), with heavy wove paper and the 1804 watermark throughout. The price at the time of issue was £1 11s 6d. Although Roscoe has no data for the number of copies of the 1807 edition, the number of Imperial copies was probably around 150 (based on the known number of Imperial copies of the 4th edition).

The 1807 edition features many textual revisions and minor amendments by Bewick to his illustrations, and saw the first publication of his engraving of the Musk Bull (p.49). In addition to the figures of the animals themselves, there are more than 100 vignettes, amongst the most delightful images in the history of engraving (see photographs).

A finely bound copy, with two book plates, one of noted book collector Percy William Pegge, and another of the landowner, racehorse breeder Sir Humphrey Francis de Trafford (1862–1929). As in a handful of other copies, Ranson's 1816 engraved portrait of Bewick is included as a frontispiece. Roscoe 5a.