École de cavalerie, contenant la conoissance, l’instruction, et la conservation de cheval.
LA GUERINIERE, Francois Robichon de. Paris, Collombat, 1733.

Folio. Contemporary calf. With 15 engraved plates (3 double-page, some folding), 8 full-page engraved illustrations in the text, 5 engraved vignettes, and several headpieces and initials, all hand-coloured.

The rare first edition of one of the most beautiful books on horses. “Un des plus beaux ouvrages qui aient paru en France sur le cheval” (Mennessier de la Lance). An outstanding collector’s item by virtue of the paper, composition, and the beautiful engravings by Charles Parrocel. The engravings, in charming colour, show horsemen, bridles, saddles, horseshoes, the horse’s skeleton, etc. Different collations provided by various bibliographies are due to the fact that the illustration “Allures naturelles”, here a double plate, is usually divided into two parts.

The  Quadrupeds  of  North  America.  New  York
John James Audobon:  V.  G.  Audubon,  1849-51-54

3  volumes,  in  8s  (10  1/4  x  6  1/2  in.;  260  x  170  mm).  155  fine  handcolored  lithographed  plates  by  W.  E.  Hitchcock  and  R.  Trembly  after  J.J.  and  J.  W.  Audubon  (plates  1-31  printed  by  Nagel  &  Weingartner,  New  York  and  colored  by  J.  Lawrence;  remaining  plates  printed  and  colored  by  J.T.  Bowen,  Philadelphia);  lacking  half-titles,  light  toning  to  text,  chiefly  in  vol.  1,  occasional  text  offsetting  to  verso  of  plates,  not  affecting  images.  Publisher’s  deluxe  dark  blue  morocco  paneled  gilt,  covers  gilt-stamped  with  animal  emblems  derived  from  Plate  I  (American  Wildcat)  in  the  center  and  Plates  XXXI  (Collared  Peccary),  VI  (American  Cross  Fox),  XLII  (Common  American  Skunk),  and  II  (Maryland  Marmot  Woodchuck  Groundhog)  used  as  cornerpieces,  dentelles  richly  gilt,  yellow-coated  endpapers,  spines  in  6  compartments  with  raised  bands  lettered  and  decorated  in  gilt,  edges  gilt. 

Queer Animals and Birds
Containing amusing stories in rhymes and jingles.
Palmer Cox, Washington: Horace Fry, 1905,

Pictorial cloth, small 4to, (bumped, chipped, spine a bit sunned, pencilings to flyleaf, starting).

B-A Note: About the author (via wikipedia):

“Palmer Cox (April 28, 1840 – July 24, 1924) was a Canadian illustrator and author, best known for The Brownies, his series of humorous verse books and comic strips about the mischievous but kindhearted fairy-like sprites. The cartoons were published in several books, such as The Brownies, Their Book (1887). Due to the popularity of Cox’s Brownies, one of the first popular handheld cameras was named after them, the Eastman Kodak Brownie camera.”

Interestingly, the wikipedia article does not include this particular book in the bibiliography for Cox.

B-A Note: Nothing particularly unique about this book. R found it at the library and brought it home for me, and I love it.

Three White Kittens. Tit, Tiny and Tittans. Aunt Louisa Big Picture Book Series. McLoughlin Bros, New York., 1875. First Edition.

Not dated but inscription in pencil on front cover dates it at 1875. 12 (leaves) pages printed on one side only in colour. Bound in original pictorial covers.

via AbeBooks

oldbookillustrations:

benbasso:

nrkn:

theowlhooteth:

four footed lovers

1875

By Frank Albertsen. Illustrated by Lizbeth Bullock Humphrey

1963 by omoo on flickr

This would make a great PSA for Spay and Neuter campaigns.

ushishir:

yumehitachi:

morikuni 1720 animal book 8 (via greyherbert)