168

Samuel Galton, Junior (1753-1832)

The Natural History of Quadrupeds; Including all the Linnaean Class of Mammalia for the Instruction of Young Persons. A Children's Natural History.

London: Printed for J. Johnson, 1801.
First edition, two 12mo volumes, illustrated with folding table and 69 of 72 full paged engravings of mammals; lacking 4 text leaves in the first volume; this set uncut, with deckle edges throughout; bound in full modern buckram; ex libris William B. Ludlow, with his signature on the title of each volume; some leaves detached; rare; 7 /4 x 4 1/2 in. (2)


"Samuel Galton Junior also wrote another early work for children [in addition to his Natural History of Birds] whilst at Barr [Great Barr Hall, an 18th century mansion in Pheasey, Walsall, England], again anonymously. It is a publication totally overlooked by Schofield and all other Lunar Society academics. The Natural History of Quadrupeds, a two-volume work embellished with 72 copper-plates, was published in 1801. It was an attempt to epitomise an immense field and failed miserably to match the appeal of Galton's Birds. Astonishingly, there is only one complete copy of this work in world libraries. This extreme rarity resides in the Baldwin Library, University of Florida, and I am greatly indebted to the staff for providing me with a digitised copy, at their expense. It is a presentation copy from the author but the name of the recipient cannot, alas, be clearly made out. [...] Compressing the whole class of Mammalia into a manageable publication for children was by no means an easy task." (For more, read Peter Allen's helpful essay, "Samuel Galton Junior: Pioneer of Children's Natural History Literature," copyright 2013: https://planning.walsall.gov.uk/swift/MediaTemp/56905-24389.pdf)

  • Condition: I: [-]2, A-Y6 (lacking 4 text leaves: N2-5). II:[-]1, B-U6, X3.

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