Australia; Illustrated from the Drawings by Skinner Prout, N. Chevalier, O. Brierly, ETC. ETC.
London: Virtue and Co., n.d. [1874-76]. First Edition. Quarto, 8 vols. Vol 1: pp.28, iv (outer title page and advertisement), 14 steel engravings including vignette inner title page and map of Victoria; Vol 2: pp.29-56, 14 steel engravigns including map of New South Wales; Vol 3: pp. 57-88, 14 steel engravings and map of the Overland Route to Australia; Vol 4: pp.89-120, 14 steel engravings and map of Queensland; Vol 5: pp.121 - 152, 14 steel engravings and map of Australia; Vol 6: pp. 153 -180, 12 steel engravings and map of South Australia; Vol 7: pp. 181 - 212, 14 steel engravings and map of Tasmania; Vol 8: pp. 213 - 232 14 steel engravings including vignette title page, map of the world, 10pp (title pages to volumes one and two and lists of contents and engravings to each volume). Each volume bound in brown decorated cloth boards with gilt lettering and black floral borders with a butterfly in bottom left corner.
Although the plate count matches Ferguson, one plate called for volume one is not present: Quarantine Burial Grounds, Port Jackson.
Boards are generally bright but rubbed at the joints, corners bumped and some abraded, the heads and feet of the spines are generally tender, pushed and abraded. Volumes 2, 3 and 8 have insect damage to the spines. The plates are generally clean but some with light to moderate foxing, most with tissue guards, the edges are generally tender. Plate 8 in volume 1 has a 4.5cm tear rising vertically from base through the "T" in the first word of the title "The Boadab Tree". All plates and pages disbound as intended. Ferguson 7279. Item #857
Intended for binding in two volumes, the 8 volume subscriber edition is encountered less often than the 2 volume sets. A scarce item.
Price: $2,000.00