DOUGHTY, John and Thomas (1793-1856). The Cabinet of Natural History and American Rural Sports. Philadelphia: 1830-32-33.
3 volumes, 8vo (215 x 251 mm). 3 engraved titles, 2 engraved portraits, and 57 mostly lithographic plates after Thomas Doughty and others (comprising 53 hand-colored lithographs, one colored etching, 2 uncolored engravings and one uncolored wood-engraving), 17 in-text wood engravings, index leaves printed on blue paper trimmed, mounted, and bound into vol.III. (Some offsetting or minor spotting.) Contemporary red half morocco, marbled boards, top edge gilt (some light wear, upper cover to vol.III detached). FIRST EDITION OF "THE FIRST COLOR-PLATE SPORTING BOOK PRINTED IN AMERICA' (Grolier/Henderson). According to Bennett, Volume III is perhaps the most difficult of all American sport items to find...Artistically Vol. 1 is much the most important, for it contains the original plates by Thos. Doughty, famous painter and founding-father of the Hudson River School." Bennett, p. 35; Grolier/Henderson, p. 40; Howes D-433; Reese Stamped with a National Character 12.
Provenance: Edward Hine Johnson (bookplate); Daniel Webster Evans (bookplate); sold Christie's New York, 29 October 1993, lot 30.
