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Lot Description

HUGHES, Griffith (1707-1779). The Natural History of Barbados. London: for the Author, 1750.

4to (421 x 264 mm). Double-page engraved map by Thomas Jefferys, 30 engraved plates by Bickham and Ehret; numerous engraved head-pieces and woodcut decorations; 4pp. letterpress Addenda at end. (Lacking errata slip pasted to errata leaf, some very minor spotting and offsetting to a few leaves.) Contemporary mottled calf, spine gilt (hinge starting, some light wear). Provenance: Charles Lyttleton FRS FSA (1714-1768), Bishop of Carlisle and President of the Society of Antiquaries (original subscriber, armorial bookplate, 4-line annotation in lower margin on p.313); Christian Heuer (bookplate); sold Bonham's London, 9 May 2013, sale 36052, lot 124.

FIRST EDITION, A LARGE-PAPER COPY of one of the earliest botanical studies on Barbados, a book "to place beside Catesby's Natural History" (Hunt). "Hughes had an advantage over Catesby in that the majority of the Barbados plates were drawn by Ehret, while just three of Catesby's are from that gifted artist's hand. Probably several of the unsigned Barbados plates are also by Ehret, as he may have signed only those that he felt were good" (ibid.). According to Hunt, the present quarto edition likely preceded the folio issue published in the same year. Cleveland Collections 425; Hunt 536; Sabin 33582.

Condition Report

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