David Dunbar - Aurelian Books

Antiquarian and Rare Books and Prints about Butterflies, Moths and Natural History

 0208 455 9612

Category: Art & Photography

All book in this section are secondhand unless otherwise stated.

1. FIGURING IT OUT, SCIENCE, GENDER AND VISUAL CULTURE


ANN B SHTEIR & BERNARD LIGHTMAN, FIGURING IT OUT, SCIENCE, GENDER AND VISUAL CULTURE, 2006, 384 pages, profusely illustrated in black and white, soft covers, many references to the natural world, Dartmouth College Press
Stock No. 1437
£30

2. MINDFUL OF BUTTERFLIES


VALERIE BAINES & B JACKSON, MINDFUL OF BUTTERFLIES, 1999, 160 pages, large format, numerous full page and text colour paintings by Valerie Baines, cloth bound with dustjacket. A truly beautiful coffee table book engagingly written as a guide to the fundamental theories, practices and ecology for creating habitats for butterflies. The narrative explores the butterfly populations in England and North America, and offers a wealth of insight and information based on research and daily observations. The paintings by Valerie Baines are imaginative, exquisite and display a deep understanding and love of her subject matter, which will appeal to lepidopterists, gardeners and naturalists alike. Published by The Book Guild Ltd. New.
Stock No. 28
£25.

3. GLORIOUS BUTTERFLIES AND THEIR FLORA


V BAINES, GLORIOUS BUTTERFLIES AND THEIR FLORA, 1993, 40 pages, including 8 beautiful colour plates depicting all the British butterflies and their larval food plants. Each finely painted butterfly is shown either in flight or resting amongst a colourful and artistically composed array of flowers and foliage, the plates are accompanied by a text commentary by well-known butterfly experts, d/w, published to mark the 25th anniversary of Butterfly Conservation. New.
Stock No. 173
£15

4. THE SEYMER LEGACY


Vane-Wright, Dick and Harold Hughes, THE SEYMER LEGACY, 2005, 330 pages, 280 x 325 mm, 72 colour plates of remarkable 18th century fine original watercolour paintings of exotic butterflies and moths, together with many other colour illustrations and half-tones and drawings. The collection resided with the descendants of the Seymers, father and son, until recently and thus remained unseen and unstudied. Henry Seymer senior (1714-1785) was clearly the main driving force, later joined by his son, also Henry, between 1772 and father's death, at which point work apparently stopped. The important feature of these paintings is that they derived from specimens acquired by the Seymers - they were prime representations taken from life. They come from a wide variety of locations, stretching for example from Jamaica to Newfoundland, and present significant new information about the knowledge of world lepidoptera. Access to this collection through purchase has allowed a thorough examination of all the species shown in the paintings, and of the accompanying original legends written by the Seymers. As well as generating new information this has pointed up some remaining mysteries. The paintings themselves are beautiful, on a par with contemporary artists such as Moses Harris, and very well executed; each one illustrating multiple species set against imaginative botanical backgrounds, with an approach to graphic design ahead of its time. In addition to the full-colour reproductions of the 72 paintings, are the results of detailed entomological study of their content, a painstaking review of information collected about the Seymers and how they obtained their specimens, and consideration of the implications thrown up by this important collection. Standard edition bound in green buckram with laminated dustjacket. Now out of print and a rarity.
Stock No. 1073
£350

5. BUTTERFLIES, paintings by Gordon Beningfield and text by Robert Goodden,


GORDON BENINGFIELD, BUTTERFLIES, paintings by Gordon Beningfield and text by Robert Goodden,, 1978, number 43 of a special limited edition of 250 copies, signed by the artist Gordon Beningfield, folio 12" x 19", subscribers list, author and artists introductions, 20 plates each pasted to mounting page accompanied by commentary, in all 96 pages of heavy oatmeal tinted art paper, all edges gilt, bound in half brown morocco leather with gilt blocked lettering on spine and buckram covered boards, with matching slip case (slight signs of wear), the book is in an immaculate clean and fresh state.. This book was one of Beningfield's first to feature natural history subject matter for which he became so well-known and admired. His peaceful landscapes and intimate paintings of country life were evocative of a past rural idyll. He harboured a special affection for butterflies and the paintings here broke new ground in composition with insects settled amongst the flowers and foliage preferred by the species portrayed. Published by Carter Nash Cameron Ltd.
Stock No. 174
£375

6. BENINGFIELD'S BUTTERFLIES


G BENINGFIELD & R GOODDEN, BENINGFIELD'S BUTTERFLIES, 1978, 20 colour plates of watercolour paintings and mono illustrations, text commentary with each picture, hardback, dustjacket, published by Chatto & Windus.
Stock No. 175
£20

7. BENINGFIELD'S BUTTERFLIES


G BENINGFIELD & R GOODDEN, BENINGFIELD'S BUTTERFLIES, 1986, a later edition, paperback.
Stock No. 176
£10

8. INSECTS IN FLIGHT


J BRACKENBURY, INSECTS IN FLIGHT, 1995, 199 pages containing staggering close-up photos of butterflies, moths and other insects in flight all taken at very fast exposures giving the impression motionless insects suspended in mid-air, p/b edn. Blandford. As new.
Stock No. 177
£16

9. BRIGHT WINGS OF SUMMER


D G MEASURES,, BRIGHT WINGS OF SUMMER, 1976, 160 pages, colour photos, paintings and drawings by the artist in the field, d/w. Cassell.
Stock No. 181
£10

10. INSECTS IN CAMERA


K PRESTON-MAFHAM & C O'TOOLE, INSECTS IN CAMERA, 1985, 154 pages, many close-up photos, dustjacket, Oxford UP.
Stock No. 182
£10

11. BUTTERFLY COOING LIKE A DOVE


MIRIAM ROTHSCHILD, BUTTERFLY COOING LIKE A DOVE, 1991, 215 pages, extensively illustrated with colour and black and white pictures, d/w, Doubleday. In this informal and informative auto-biographical anthology, Miriam Rothschild follows the trail of wings through history, art, science, and literature to give us a delightfully eccentric compilation. A magical journey ...writings and stories. Doves the symbol of the spirit, and butterflies, the symbol of the soul. Obscure poems, fine paintings, rare prints and ancient works brought together in an amazingly erudite and engaging style.
Stock No. 183
£35

12. FLOWERS AND BUTTERFLIES


V TEMPLE, FLOWERS AND BUTTERFLIES, 1946, 96 pages, with half-tone text illustrations, The Studio.
Stock No. 184
£10

13. BUTTERFLY LANDSCAPES


RICHARD TRATT, BUTTERFLY LANDSCAPES, 2005, 208 pages, 10 x 12", over 200 paintings, mostly oils, of 59 species of British butterflies in their wild habitats across the country, each butterfly is perched amongst typical vegetation surrounded by flowers, grasses and trees all amid beautiful landscapes, the paintings are faithfully reproduced displaying the artist's skilful compositions and brilliantly life-like colours, evocative of warm summer days nature is thoughtfully and keenly observed. This is a fine art book which also conveys a strong conservation message, hardback with dustjacket, copy signed by the artist. Langford Press. New but out of print.
Stock No. 186
£65

Butterfly
Conservation

Copyright © David Dunbar. All rights are reserved.

UK Butterflies