Sir Walter Lawry Buller
A history of the birds of New Zealand, 1888; Supplement, 1905, together 4 volumes
Found at
Sothebys,
London
The Library of Henry Rogers Broughton, 2nd Baron Fairhaven Part I, Lot 37
6. May - 18. May 2022
The Library of Henry Rogers Broughton, 2nd Baron Fairhaven Part I, Lot 37
6. May - 18. May 2022
Estimate: 3.000 - 4.000 GBP
Price realised: 8.190 GBP
Price realised: 8.190 GBP
Description
Sir Walter Lawry Buller
A full set of Buller's works on the birds of New Zealand, comprising:
A history of the birds of New Zealand... second edition. London: published (for the subscribers) by the author, 1888, 2 volumes, large 4to (362 x 263mm.), list of subscribers in volume 2 (specifying a print run of 1,000 copies), 50 plates (48 coloured), black and white illustrations in text, original black morocco-backed green cloth, upper covers with a gilt picture of a takahe, flat spine with gilt lettering and decoration, gilt edges, one plate with tissue guard stuck to image in one small spot, ends of spines repaired
Supplement to the "Birds of New Zealand". London: published (for the subscribers) by the author, 1905, 2 volumes, 4to (374 x 276mm.), frontispiece portrait of the author, 12 coloured plates, black and white illustrations in text, original red cloth with a gilt picture of a kiwi on covers, flat spines gilt, top edge gilt
together 4 volumes
Buller wrote several works on New Zealand birds, from 1865 onwards; the supplement to his Birds of New Zealand was published the year before his death. He travelled to London to see both editions through the press, and by the time of the supplement, he had moved permanently to England. The plates were designed by the renowned bird artist J.G. Keulemans (1842-1912).
This was the first work to cover the birdlife of the Maori world, however Buller himself thought that introduced European species would supersede the native ones, and he was unenthusiastic about efforts to conserve native species.
LITERATURE:
Anker 85; Nissen IVB 163
A full set of Buller's works on the birds of New Zealand, comprising:
A history of the birds of New Zealand... second edition. London: published (for the subscribers) by the author, 1888, 2 volumes, large 4to (362 x 263mm.), list of subscribers in volume 2 (specifying a print run of 1,000 copies), 50 plates (48 coloured), black and white illustrations in text, original black morocco-backed green cloth, upper covers with a gilt picture of a takahe, flat spine with gilt lettering and decoration, gilt edges, one plate with tissue guard stuck to image in one small spot, ends of spines repaired
Supplement to the "Birds of New Zealand". London: published (for the subscribers) by the author, 1905, 2 volumes, 4to (374 x 276mm.), frontispiece portrait of the author, 12 coloured plates, black and white illustrations in text, original red cloth with a gilt picture of a kiwi on covers, flat spines gilt, top edge gilt
together 4 volumes
Buller wrote several works on New Zealand birds, from 1865 onwards; the supplement to his Birds of New Zealand was published the year before his death. He travelled to London to see both editions through the press, and by the time of the supplement, he had moved permanently to England. The plates were designed by the renowned bird artist J.G. Keulemans (1842-1912).
This was the first work to cover the birdlife of the Maori world, however Buller himself thought that introduced European species would supersede the native ones, and he was unenthusiastic about efforts to conserve native species.
LITERATURE:
Anker 85; Nissen IVB 163
A top price for Walter Lawry Buller
This artwork by Walter Lawry Buller achieved an unexpectedly high price at Sothebys in London in May last year. In the The Library of Henry Rogers Broughton, 2nd Baron Fairhaven Part I auction, the work A history of the birds of New Zealand, 1888; Supplement, 1905, together 4 volumes sold for GBP 8,190.00 (€ 9,634.76) - well above the upper estimate of GBP 4,000.00. This high result makes A history of the birds of New Zealand, 1888; Supplement, 1905, together 4 volumes the most expensive artwork by Walter Lawry Buller that we have observed at auctions so far.
Ein Spitzenpreis für Walter Lawry Buller
Dieses Kunstwerk von Walter Lawry Buller erzielte im Mai letzten Jahres bei Sothebys in London einen unerwartet hohen Preis. In der Auktion The Library of Henry Rogers Broughton, 2nd Baron Fairhaven Part I wurde die Arbeit A history of the birds of New Zealand, 1888; Supplement, 1905, together 4 volumes für GBP 8.190,00 (€ 9.634,76) versteigert – und damit weit über dem oberen Schätzpreis von GBP 4.000,00. Dieses hohe Ergebnis macht A history of the birds of New Zealand, 1888; Supplement, 1905, together 4 volumes zu dem teuersten Kunstwerk von Walter Lawry Buller, das wir bisher bei Auktionen beobachtet haben.
Walter Lawry Buller - Auction history
![Sir Walter Lawry Buller - A History of the Birds of New Zealand. London: for the author, [1887-]1888. 2 vols, large 4° (363 x 272mm). 2 plain and 48 chromolithographic plates. (Slight spotting to first few leaves of vols I and II). Publisher\'s green half morocco, gilt pictorial bo](/images/sir-walter-lawry-buller_a-history-of-the-birds-of-new-zealand-london-for-the-author-1887-1888-2-vols-large-4deg-363-x-272mm-2-plain-and-48-chromolithographic-plates-slight-spotting-to-first-few-leaves-of-vols-i-and-ii-publishers-green-half-morocco-gilt-pi_AID597034_320x320.jpg)
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