Natural History of British Butterflies

2 volume set. First edition 1924. Folio size.

Publisher's dark blue blind-stamped cloth.

60 full-page colour plates.

5 plates containing 56 black and white drawings. 

Lovely condition throughout.

"F.W. Frohawk (1861-1946) is considered by many to be the

finest British butterfly illustrator of all times. Frohawk was the

first person to rear every British species of lepidoptera from eggs

to adult. (Rainbow Dust p.181). The result of this remarkable

achievement was the 'Natural History of British Butterflies' (1924),

a magisterial two-volume folio work, illustrated with his unrivalled

life-size colour drawings of butterflies and their early stages. Its colour

plates are the first complete record of all the life stages of British butterflies,

together with the habits, times of appearance, and localities. This classic

butterfly book took a quarter-century to compile. Although the preface is

dated 1914, publication was delayed until after the First World War,

as Peter Marren notes: ‘at long last, in 1914, and the age of fifty-three,

he had completed the last painting, written the last line, and sent the great

work off to his publishers, war was declared. Wartime paper shortages made

publication impossible. By the time the war was over people had other things

on their minds: publication was delayed a further six years until 1924."

Recorded shipping weight 5000g.

Shipped and insured by recorded delivery.