1870. F.R. Berge’s SCHMETTERLINGS-BUCH (BUTTERFLIES BOOK, with 50 VERY RARE Hand-Colored Engraved Plates),

F.R. Berge’s SCHMETTERLINGS-BUCH (Butterflies Book), von H.v. Heinemann, Stuttgart; Julius Hoffman, 1870. RARE! Large-4vo. Contemporary decorative front and back boards. Text in German. This is the trend setting work on Butterflies, containing 50 FINE, LARGE HAND-COLORED PLATES. These VERY RARE early 19th century hand-colored plates of butterflies. Plate size; 9x11.5 inches. The verso of each plate is blank with minor age toning. Plates 12,16,18,19,20 and 21 are torn. Plate 50 with adhesion of the text from the facing page. The plate scan below is a representative example of the majority of the plates. The hand coloring is delicately rendered while having maintained a fresh and bright quality.