Lot 134: BOWDICH, Sarah (1791-1865). The Fresh-water Fishes of Great Britain. Drawn and described by Mrs T. Edward Bowdich. London: Printed for the authoress and R. Ackermann, 1828[-1836].

11 parts in one volume, 4o (340 x 262mm). Letterpress title, 2pp. preface, 2pp. of explanatory text for each of the 44 ORIGINAL WATERCOLOURS, over a pencil base, each with manuscript caption, most signed by Bowdich, many heightened with gold and silver, 3 small outline pen and ink drawings on a single sheet with accompanying leaf of letterpress description bound in after the watercolours, 3 watercolours folded, 1p. letterpress list of subscribers bound in at the end. (21 watercolours with the artists' signatures shaved or trimmed, endpapers lightly spotted.) Contemporary green morocco gilt, by J. Wright, covers with wide gilt dentelle borders, spine gilt in six sections, gilt edges. Provenance : Duke of Sussex (contemporary pencil note on front free endpaper 'The Duke of Sussex's subscription copy 12.12.0') - Sale 11th August 1844. ONE OF THE RAREST BOOK ON FISHES, LIMITED TO 50 COPIES. Mrs. Bowdich, wife and travelling companion of the African explorer Thomas Edward Bowdich, notes in her preface that in the interest of verisimilitude she has drawn only from life either at life size or half size, noting the colours of the fish as soon as possible after their removal from the water. In the case of the Trout the rapid fading of its rainbow colours evidently necessitated the services of an expert angler to secure a constant supply of fish, whilst Mrs. Bowdich worked feverishly on the bank. The subscribers' list notes 47 names receiving 50 copies, the Duke of Sussex being the principal patron and subscriber. Many copies have the 3 pen and ink drawings on separate sheets with the letterpress text pasted on, but in this copy they are on two separate sheets. Nissen ZBI 157; Westwood and Satchell 39.