Description

Select Issue of Martyn’s Shell Book: An excellent copy of the rare “select issue” of a shell book praised for its exquisite renderings of shells collected during Cook’s three voyages and other expeditions. The plates are of such high quality that they are often mistaken for original watercolors.

Preparation and Specimens: Prepared under Martyn’s direction from specimens gathered on South Sea voyages, the work includes shells from New Holland, New Zealand, Tahiti, Tonga, and the Hawaiian Islands. The most notable collection represented is that of the Portland Museum, assembled by Margaret Cavendish Bentinck, second Duchess of Portland.

Select Issue Features: This “select issue” was created for the author’s patrons, with plates edged in black, part-mounted on blue paper, and each page numbered in manuscript. The frontispiece features a Greek-key border in applied gold, matching the gilt-border on the boards of each volume.

Artistry and Historical Significance: The plates are delicately engraved and richly hand-colored, produced by a private academy of young artists trained by Martyn. This work is considered one of the most beautiful illustrated book productions of the late eighteenth century and the only work of that era to deal exclusively with shells.