PARKER, Richard Dunscombe. Birds of Ireland. Paintings by Richard Dunscombe Parker (c.1801-81). Edited by Martyn Anglesea and designed by Wendy Dunbar. [SIGNED LIMITED EDITION]

With forty coloured plates of the ‘Birds of Ireland’ and explanatory text, with bibliography. Belfast: Blackstaff, 1983. Large oblong folio. Three quarter brown calf on marbled boards by Sydney Aiken. Limited to 250 copies. Signed by the editor and designer. A very good copy in matching slipcase.
Forty mounted colour plates reproducing the original watercolour paintings originally discovered in 1976 by the Editor in the recesses of the Ulster Museum, Belfast. Bound for over a century in a flat box, the original 170 watercolours measuring 24 1/2 x 30 inches were painted on white wove paper over pencil outlines. Besides the remarkable plates, Martyn Anglesea describes the history of Ornithological painting, it’s place in history, as well as the little known, until now, history of Parker and his extended family. Anglesea states, “Parker’s paintings are quite unique as a contribution to nineteenth-century Irish Ornithology and with their Irish topographical backgrounds, for a collection of great value.” Including notes on plates and a complete list of original watercolours.

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