Prints: Baxter - Dippers and Nest CL 2 and Little Grebes and Nest CL 3 – in the first edition of Robert Mudie’s famous work Feathered Tribes of the British Islands. That work went into many editions but this first edition is the only edition to have the Baxter vignettes, signed by Baxter. Under each print is the title and "Engraved on Wood and Printed in Colours by G. Baxter",
Only the title page vignettes are printed in colours by Baxter but the book contains many others all hand coloured. Volume I also contains a Frontispiece and 9 full pages of illustrations and Volume II the frontispiece and 8 pages of illustrations all hand coloured. This, according to a major book dealer, is complete as called for but also contains a ‘scarce’ unlisted plate of a Blue (Tom) Tit, Yellow Bunting, Cross Bill and Wood Lark.
Date: 1834 – First Edition
Size (cm ht x w): 20.7 x 13 – each volume, in a slightly large book box
State: As the frontispieces in Volume I & II as issued in original publishers binding. This is the first ever colour printing in a commercial volume and as such the author states that Baxter has “I believe, completed what was the last project of the great Bewick”
Condition: 1” separation to the top of spine of volume I and a join across the top of the binding on one volume, please see image, this must be from when originally bound as the pattern on the binding aligns perfectly. All inner and outer hinges are excellent - bookplate of William Sidney H Foster in both volumes and then a signed dedication from him to Edward Croft on the inner leaf of Volume I. Light spotting to both frontispieces and tissue guard missing in volume I. The odd corner folded with some in volume I lightly creased with the occasional grubbiness in the corner but all in all an exceptionally fine pair. They are then in an old but later very solid book box with ‘British Birds’ and Mudie Vol I & II in gilt on the spine which has raised bands. At the foot of the box spine is, presumably, meant to be the date of publication, which if it is has been gilded as 1734 instead of 1834 in error. Slight rubbing to the corners of one side of the book box else excellent