FÉRUSSAC, Jean Baptiste Louis d'Audebard, Baron de (1745-1815) and Gérard Paul DESHAYES (1795-1875). Histoire naturelle générale et particulière des mollusques terrestres et fluviatiles... Paris: J.B. Ballière, 1820-1851.

First edition, large paper copy, of one the most beautiful conchological works. "Posterity is grateful to Férussac for some of the most beautiful and accurate coloured figures of non-marine molluscs ever published" (Dance). It is also the last and one of the finest examples of French color-printing by Langlois, the printer responsible for some of Redouté's finest work. This work had a long and complicated publishing history, with the result that few copies are found complete. The first 28 parts, by André Férussac, appeared between 1820 and 1832, containing 162 plates and 128 pages of text. In 1838 another six installments were issued by Deshayes. The death of the publisher and departure of Deshayes to Algeria again brought the work to a halt. In 1848 Baillière acquired the stock and plates and convinced Deshayes that a work of such beauty and scientific importance could not remain unfinished. Eight more installments were published. Deshayes is responsible for the greatest part of the text and the 85 plates which were inserted amongst the 162 plates of Férussac. The color-printing and hand-coloring were executed under the supervision of Langlois and after his death by his pupil and successor, Geny-Gros. The plates were drawn by the finest natural history artists in France at the time: Bessa, Huet, Prêtre, Prévost, and Riocreux. Baillière in his "Avertissement de l’éditeur" tells how as a consequence of the 1848 Revolution the most outstanding natural history artists could not find employment, apart from this work.

Four volumes, folio (414 x 273 mm). 248 engraved plates (some foxing internally). Contemporary red-brown half morocco and marbled boards, spines elaborately gilt, gilt edges. Provenance: G. S. Foljambe of Osberton Hall (armorial bookplate) – Christie’s, 27 October 1988, lot 368.