STUDER, Jacob Henry (1840-1904, editor); Theodore JASPER (1814-1897, artist)

The Birds of North America

New York: published by Jacob H. Studer & Co, 1895. Imperial 4to. (14 5/8 x 11 1/2 inches). 119 lithographed plates, printed in colour and finished by hand after drawings by Theodore Jasper.

Publisher's full brown morocco, boards with blind-embossed decorations, front board lettered gilt, patterned endpapers, all edges gilt

A vibrant and influential late 19th-century American ornithological work.

Jacob H. Studer created the present work with the aim of making ornithology accessible to a broader audience. Unlike earlier, more expensive natural history folios, Studer's publication was conceived as a more affordable guide for families, schools, and amateur naturalists, an approach that contributed to its wide popularity and multiple subsequent editions, the final appearing in 1903. The 119 chromolithographic plates, many based on first-hand observation rather than copied from earlier works, combine scientific clarity with a distinctly charming visual style. While less austere than Audubon and more accessible than the works of Baird or Ridgway, the illustrations echo the warmth and immediacy of Wilson and his contemporaries, helping to bridge the divide between academic ornithology and popular natural history. Studer's work serves as both a beautiful example of American chromolithography and a meaningful cultural artifact in the democratization of scientific knowledge at the turn of the century.

Cf. Anker p.80; Bennett p.63; Fine Bird Books (1990) p.145; Nissen IVB 473; Wood p.406; Zimmer p.333.

Item #42255

Price: $1,200.00