Antique Natural HistoryOriginal plates from the naturalists' books, 1600s to 1900s
Newly Hatched and Downy Young of the Cormorant or Shag after Medland, c. 1909
Newly Hatched and Downy Young of the Cormorant or Shag after Medland, c. 1909, view 2

Close-ups

Newly Hatched and Downy Young of the Cormorant or Shag after Medland, c. 1909, close-up 1Newly Hatched and Downy Young of the Cormorant or Shag after Medland, c. 1909, close-up 2

Framed and on the wall

Newly Hatched and Downy Young of the Cormorant or Shag after Medland, c. 1909, shown framedNewly Hatched and Downy Young of the Cormorant or Shag after Medland, c. 1909, shown framed on a wallNewly Hatched and Downy Young of the Cormorant or Shag after Medland, c. 1909, shown framed in a room

Frame and rooms are illustrations of how the print could look; the description says what is included.

Newly Hatched and Downy Young of the Cormorant or Shag after Medland, c. 1909

£245 ($325, €290)

Period original, not a reproduction.

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Shipped from the Netherlands, flat, insured and tracked, worldwide. Returns accepted within 14 days.

Date
circa 1909
Technique
Photogravure
Coloring
Uncolored
Condition
Good. Light age toning; light handling soiling along the edges and a few small spots in the margins. Printed image clean.
Period
20th century
Section
Birds
Reference
BG-14331-3-23
What the condition grades mean
Excellent
Bright and clean, with no faults worth mentioning.
Very good
Only light signs of age, such as faint toning.
Good
Normal signs of age for a sheet of this period: toning, some foxing, small marks or neat old repairs.
Fair
Clear faults such as staining, tears or repairs, priced to match.

Every fault we see is written in the condition note, and the whole sheet is shown uncropped in the photos.

This is an original antique bird print, a photogravure printed in black and gray tones without added color. It shows two young birds of the cormorant family on one sheet. Above, Fig. I is a newly hatched chick, still almost naked and smooth skinned, resting in a nest of twigs with its eyes nearly closed, drawn at life size. Below, Fig. II is an older chick in thick dark down, lying on the ground with its neck raised and the slender hooked bill already formed, its pale chin and throat standing out against the dusky down.

The plate is lettered "PLATE CXLVII" at lower right and "1/3 scale" at lower center, the scale of the lower figure. The upper figure is lettered "Fig. I" with "Life Size" beneath it, and the lower figure "Fig. II". The artist's signature, "L. M. M.", is drawn into the image. No species name is printed on the plate; the identification given here is made from the drawing itself.

This plate is from the third volume of The Birds of the British Islands by Charles Stonham, published by E. Grant Richards in London in five volumes between 1906 and 1911. The drawings are by Lilian M. Medland, and the plates were printed by photogravure, an intaglio process made from a photograph of the drawing, which gives the soft, continuous tone and the faint plate mark visible on the sheet. Each bird is shown at a stated fraction of life size, printed beneath the image.

A plain wood or black frame with a wide off white mat suits the quiet tones of this plate.

Condition: Light age toning; light handling soiling along the edges and a few small spots in the margins. Printed image clean.

This is an original antique print, not a modern reproduction. This item is sold unframed. Any framed or interior images are shown for presentation and inspiration only, unless the listing explicitly states that the item is sold framed.

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