The Conchological Illustrations.

London: Published by G.B.Sowerby, (1832 – 1841, 8vo (225 x 160mm), contemporary green half Morocco, Complete and Bound from the original 200 parts, with 200 hand-coloured engraved plates, each part issued with a plate and explanatory text leaf, the text leaves cancelled on completion of the work and replaced with ‘catalogue of recent species’ or Index leaves.

A very rare conchological work.

Many of the illustrations are based on the Cuming’s specimens. “He was only twenty years old when, with his father’s assistance, he brought out the first number of ‘The Conchological Illustrations’. When it was completed, nine years later, this valuable work contained 200 steel engraved plates .” (Dance. Hist. of Shell Collecting p. 116). “The 1,500 figures contained in the work, represent 1,000 new species and varieties of 21 different Genera, and include all the species of Cypraea, Chilina, Neritina, Margarita, Eulima, and Typhis” (From the Introduction). G.B. Sowerby (2nd) was the most gifted draughtsman of shells of the Sowerby family. As the work was issued in parts some text pages vary in size.

He was the second son of James Sowerby. George was educated at home under private tutors and afterwards assisted his father in the production of illustrated works on natural history. On the latter’s death in 1822, he and his brother James De Carle Sowerby continued their father’s work on fossil shells, publishing the latter parts of the Mineral Conchology of Great Britain. He published about 50 papers on molluscs and started several comprehensive, illustrated books on the subject, the most important the Thesaurus Conchyliorum, a work that was continued by his son, George Brettingham Sowerby II and his grandson George Brettingham Sowerby III. One of his first works was the cataloguing of the collection of the Earl of Tankerville. He also dealt in shells and natural history objects, his place of business being first in King Street, Covent Garden, from which he removed to Regent Street, and finally to Great Russell Street. He was elected a fellow of the Linnean Society on 5 March 1811.

Nissen ZBI 3909.