463pp, Subscriber's Edition, Limited to 125 copies, of which, this is copy No.34. Signed by the Author, Austin Roberts, the Artist, Norman C.K. Lighton and the Hon. Sec and Trustee of the South African Bird Book Fund, John Voelker and presented to Capt G.J. Joel. Complete with a total of 56 colour plates, including the frontispiece.
Externally, half leather binding with gilt title to spine with gilt top edge and untrimmed tail edge. Shelf wear to the extremities and exterior as shown with marks, scuffs, some staining and a slight lean to the spine. Cream cloth boards show some staining and the front cream cloth shows some lifting along the half leather margin. The book is firmly bound. Internally, marbled endpapers, with some staining at the top of the inside front pages up to the title page and some light foxing to the inside front blank pages. Light mostly marginal age toning, otherwise pages are generally clean. A good copy.
Austin Roberts was a self taught ornithologist and mammalogist, whose extensive field work culminated in the publication of The Birds of South Africa, the first comprehensive work of its kind and still the standard work on South African ornithology. It has been extensively reprinted and updated. This edition was a deluxe version for subscribers who funded the project's production during World War II era constraints.
This edition was presented to Captain G.J. Joel who was the son of Woolf Joel, a prominent Randlord. He served in the military, earning a Military Cross (M.C.) and the rank of Captain, before relocating to South Africa. He served on the directorates of major industrial operations like the Government Gold Mining Areas and passed away in Johannesburg on March 22, 1957.
Photos provided reflect the condition in addition to the above description.
Size: 230mm x 165mm
London, H.F. & G. Witherby Ltd & Johannesburg: The Central News Agency (CNA) Ltd, 1940
NB: This book will be shipped from Northern Ireland (UK) and will incur additional shipping & insurance costs.
- Binding Condition: Good
- Overall Condition: Good
- Size: 230mm x 165mm
