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Vols. I, II and III, First edition, 1851, 1851 and 1857. Association Copy inscribed on ffep. Vol. I by the Author's son (and posthumous collaborator) W.G. Binney, who would go on to complete his father's work in another two volumes in the 1870's. Hard cover, large 8vo, (5 3/4 x 9 1/4 inches, or 23.3 cm), finely bound in three-quarter calf over marble paper-covered boards, the spine with six raised bands, gilt with author name and volume nos. to second and sixth compartment, and with titles gilt upon black crushed morocco labels to the fourth. Text block edges are trimmed and finished with a mottled glaze. Glazed marbled endpapers bear a small tag: "Bound by B. Bradley, Boston," near gutter.**CONDITION: Very Good. Exterior has edge wear to both the marbled paper and the calf at joints and corners, with some moderate losses to the latter as seen in the photos. Shelfwear also apparent. Inside, the hinges are in order, the glazed endpapers bright, and except for a very few minor spots or areas of foxing, the text pages remain fresh, bright and quite clean. The bindings are firm and square. Note: This set was issued with black and white plates only, and is lacking two plates.**COLLATION: Vol. 1: (1851) xxix, 1-366pp. [= 266pp. last two pages being misnumbered], plus 16 full-page tissue-guarded engraved plates of illustration. *Vol. II: "Pneumobranchiata." Cambridge: Printed by Bolles & Houghton, (1851). [5], [8], 1- 362pp. [7]. With list of 23 black and white woodcut illust. within the text. *Vol. III: "Plates" (1857) Printed by H.O. Houghton and Company, Cambridge (1857). [5], 40pp., plus 86 [of 88] unnumbered tissue-guarded black and white engraved plates, [5]. Lacking any colored plates, as issued, with all plates facing right as bound.**These three volumes by the Harvard- and Brown Univ.- educated PHYSICIAN AND SCIENTIST, DR AMOS BINNEY (1803-1847) are significant as the first American work of its kind in the field of malocology --the study of invertebrate mollusks, such as snails, slugs, clams and cephalapods, which includes octopi, squid and cuttlefish. Dr. Amos Binney, trained as a medical doctor though never intended to enter medicine; rather it was a way for him to immerse himself in scientific inquiry. (DNB) His shell and mollusk collecting days dated from his time at Brown, and later at Harvard in the 1820's and 30's. He became a man of business upon the death of his father, with interests in real estate and mining which would make him an independently wealthy man. However, still suffering from ill health, he was forced to withdraw for a time from college and travelled to Ohio on horseback. While there, he added fossils and dinosaur remains to his collecting purview. Still ill, a recuperative trip to Europe was prescribed, from which unfortunately, he did not survive. His wife Mary Ann and son William were thus tasked with arranging the conclusion of Amos Binney's work, during which time, more shells were collected from outside Massachusetts, at least two illustrators died, and various engravers had to be engaged, making this project a bit of a publisher's nightmare. Dr. Binney and his posthumous editor the conchology expert, Dr. AUGUSTUS ADDISON GOULD (1805-1866) were both founding members of the Boston Natural History Society, from which would evolve the modern day Boston Museum of Science. Dr. Binney was also a most generous benfactor of the Society, and frequent contributor to its journal prior to his death. Amos Binney was also a member of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, The New York Lyceum of Natural History and the Saint Louis Academy of Science. This work cemented his lasting international reputation in the field of malacology. Scarce to market.**REFS: LOC: ca 07005537. OCLC 7520273. On Binney and Gould : DNB, and The American Malacological Society: "2400 Years of Malacology," beginning p. 212. W. B. Ashworth, "Augustus A. Gould--Scientist of the Day" at Linda Hall Library, Kansas City, MO, (4/23/2024). (6.6 lbs.)
Ref: NATH 9381
$550.00