Author(s): Thomas Skottowe; Tim Bonyhady (Commentaries by); John Calaby (Notes by); Richard Browne (Illustrator); David Attenborough (Foreword by)

Rare, Collectable, Folios | Flora and Fauna | History & Studies - General | New South Wales

Celebrated as the best designed, illustrated adult book in the Australian Book Publishers Association Design Awards, The Skottowe Manuscript is a rare and valuable collector's piece. It is also a remarkable natural history of New South Wales. David Attenborough writes in his foreword that the book's beauty lies in its representation of '...a land full of marvels seen with wonder and innocence'. This is the first and only publication of The Skottowe Manuscript since its creation one hundred and seventy-five years ago. In 1813, Thomas Skottowe, an early colonial official, and convict artist Richard Browne compiled a remarkable record of the birds, animals, insects, reptiles, and fish of the New South Wales region, comprising 27 watercolours and 26 pages of hand-written copper-plate text. For each illustration in Volume I, Skottowe records his own excited comments and the native name for the subject, making The Skottowe Manuscript a delight to read as well as admire. To place the work in its historical context, author and historian Tim Bonyhady writes knowledgeably about the content of the manuscript in Volume II. Celebrated as the best designed, illustrated adult book in the Australian Book Publishers Association Design Awards, The Skottowe Manuscript is a rare and valuable collector's piece. It is also a remarkable natural history of New South Wales. David Attenborough writes in his foreword that the book's beauty lies in its representation of '...a land full of marvels seen with wonder and innocence'.

Very good condition. 2 Volume set in Slipcase - The Skottowe Manuscript, Newcastle 1813; The Skottowe Manuscript, A Commentary by Tim Bonyhady et al.
The first publication of the manuscript is limited to 550 numbered copies for sale - this is Copy Number 388.