THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA Volume III. (Robins, Wrens, Finches) [volumed 3]

Melbourne: Hill House, 1991. Book. Fine. Hardcover. Facsimile Edition. Elephant Folio. Limited facsimile edition, this copy stamped no. 203 to the front end paper. A fine copy with minimal wear, contents clean and tight, unmarked. Original green Japanese Saifu cloth gilt; pp. [iv], plus 97 fine coloured plates with accompanying text. One of a series of remarkably exact same-size facsimile of the original in the British Library, printed by offset lithography on acid-free matt art paper and hand-bound. The Hill House series contained the only authentic full-size facsimiles of the works of John Gould - this volume is one of the original printings and now out of print. Publisher's blurb thus "They are not reproductions, because no camera was used in transferring the images from the B.M.(N.H.) originals. Indeed the originals are taken by Museum security courier to the repro-house in Singapore, where they are subjected to the preparation of new plates for printing on 5 and 6 colour offset presses. The paper used is 130 gsm mat art paper. As facsimiles, the books carry faithfully every spot, mark or stain of the originals. They also carry the original Museum Department of Zoology stamps, and librarian's annotations. From behind glass, the naked eye would be unable to distinguish the original from the facsimile, so accurate is the colour printing. Also as facsimiles, they are exactly the same size as the originals (Imperial Folio: 22" x 15"). Each volume is hand sewn, cased-in and bound between 4 mm. gilt stamped on the spine, and with the gold Crown Cipher of the British Museum (Natural History) on the front, and blind embossed on the inner margin of the front boards. The end-papers are of special wood-free heavy grade paper, printed in a generated repetitive pattern of the Museum's Library stamps. The publisher has not intruded into the authenticity of the books, leaving the publication data printed only on the very last page at the end of the book block. Each copy is hand inspected by the printer's quality control officer, individually numbered on the inside front board. Thus, no two copies are exactly the same. Although initial volumes were printed in more than 500 copies, later production runs have not exceeded 300 for world-wide sale. This has been caused by a relative shortage of quality paper, together with the intensive hand-labour involved in their production." This book is held in stock. A postal surcharge may apply on this heavy book..