1838. Eight parts in two volumes, 12mo; pp, [iv] half-title and additional engraved title-page in red and black, [ii] title-page, [iv], 420, [4] with eight engraved plates, the frontispieces retaining original tissue guard; pp. [iv] half-title and additional engraved title-page in red and black, [ii] title-page, 408, [4], with eight engraved plates, the frontispiece retaining original tissue guard; some foxing and browning throughout, but generally crisp; in contemporary green sheep, spines tooled, lettered and numbered in gilt, covers attractively decorated and ruled in blindstamp, all edges gilt, head and tail of spines a little rubbed and worn, spines a little faded and rubbed, with further light wear to corners and extremities; an appealing copy. Uncommon first edition thus of this attractive introduction to natural history, discussing quadrupeds, birds, reptiles and fish, shells, insects, animal-plants, vegetables and minerals. Although described by Gumunchian as the first edition of a new work by the noted educationalist and popular scientific writer Sophia Ulliac-Trémadeure (1794-1862), Les Jeunes Naturalistes in fact appeared in the same year, but published in eight separate volumes as part of a different series for young children under the title ‘Bibliothéque des Enfants. Petit Cours D’Histoire Naturelle en Huit Parties. Entretiens familiers sur l’histoire naturelle’. In a clever marketing ploy by the publisher, the text and plates are identical, but have been reset in a slightly larger format, and bound together as a two volume set, and now issued as part of the series ‘Bibliothéque d’Éducation’ (though referred to as the Bibliothéque Universelle d’Éducation’ on the half-titles). This series consisted of 30 volumes written by a number of leading popular writers of the day.
These pretty volumes introduce the young reader to the basic principles of the subject in the form of a conversation between M. and Madame Derville and their daughters Cécile and Amédée, each accompanied by two attractive engraved plates.
Sophia Ulliac-Trémadeure wrote a large number of works and was later a moving force in the ‘Bibliothèque de la jeune Fille’, for which she produced during the 1850s a number of beautiful and striking works on natural history, adorned with colour plates, and often in striking bindings.