Victorian America
Circleville, OH, ca. 1879-1886
Genevieve E. Jones, "Female Audubon," Hand-Colored Ohio Bird Lithographs, 9 Pcs Total--Extremely Rare & Absolutely Gorgeous!
Hand-colored Lithographs

A small collection of nine lithographs featuring ten illustrations, eight of which are fully hand-colored (and one partly hand-colored), from Howard E. Jones (1853-1945), "Illustrations of the Nests and Eggs of Birds of Ohio" (Circleville, Ohio: Robert Clark & Co. of Cincinnati, text; Adolf Krebs Lithographic Co. of Cincinnati, plates; ca. 1879-1886). One of the plates features an apparent signature as "EFJK" near the base of the bird's nest (Pl. XI). The plates originally appeared in bound limited edition copies of the aforementioned volume which were sent to subscribers. There are fewer than 50 copies of the work known to exist today. In addition to being so rare, these lithographs are highly desirable because of the scientific accuracy and pictorial beauty of the illustrations.

The group consists of nine lithographs, one plate which features two figures, for a total of ten illustrations. All of the lithographs are in color, but one copy of Pl. XI is only partly colored with three colors, leaving it apparently unfinished. Pl. XXIV is mounted on thin chipboard. Expected wear includes toning, isolated foxing, isolated water stains or water drops, and isolated mat burn. In addition, some of the prints exhibit isolated edge darkening, chips, cropped corners, wrinkles, or closed tears. Pl. XXXII has some abrasions found along the left edge. Else very good to near fine. The plates vary in size, indicating possible trimming, with the smallest print, Pl. LXVII, measuring 15" x 11.875." The largest prints with full margins as issued measure approximately 17.5" x 15.375."

The plates depict various bird's eggs and nests belonging to some of the 130 birds native to Ohio. Natural specimens have been drawn, printed, and hand-painted to scale, with the illustrations carefully reflecting exact color, shape, and material. The extremely detailed depictions show bird's nests fashioned out of sticks, feathers, grass, bark, and moss.

The lot consists of nine lithographs and ten illustrations:

1-3. "Pl. XI. Thryothorus Ludovicianus. Great Carolina Wren." Smaller version measures 16.5" x 12.5"; two larger versions measure 17.25" x 15.25."

4. "Pl. XXIV. Zenaedura Carolinensis. Carolina Dove." 16.875" x 13.875."

5. "Pl. XXXII. Helminthophaga Pinus. Blue-Winged Yellow Warbler." 14.75" x 17.25."

6. "Pl. XXXVIII. Sturnella Magna. Meadow Lark." 17.375" x 15.25."

7. "Pl. LXI. Fig. 1. Lanivireo Flavifrons. Yellow-Throated Vireo." and "Fig. 2. Helminthophaga Chrysoptera. Golden-Winged Warbler." 15.5" x 17.5."

8. "Pl. LXV. Sirus Auricapillus. Golden-Crowned Thrush." 17.5" x 15.375."

9. "Pl. LXVII. Oporonis Formosa. Kentucky Warbler." 15" x 11.875."

"Illustrations of the Nests and Eggs of Birds of Ohio" was a joint literary and artistic effort spearheaded by the family of Nelson E. Jones (1821-1901) of Circleville, Ohio. The entire Jones family was interested in ornithology, especially daughter Genevieve E. Jones (1847-1879), whose name is most associated with this work. Genevieve saw the need for a book about birds' nests and eggs to serve as a companion volume to John James Audubon's seminal work, "Birds of North America." She and a friend, Eliza J. Schulze, drew samples which Genevieve's brother Howard E. Jones had collected; Howard also provided the text. After Genevieve's untimely death from typhoid fever at age 32, her mother Virginia E. Jones (1826-1906) took over the drawing and printmaking. Nelson provided funding for the printmaking and book binding. Local artists Nellie D. Jacob, Josephine Klippart, and Kate Gephart served as colorists.

The original 2-volume "Illustrations of the Nests and Eggs of Birds of Ohio" contained 68 beautiful plates, and attracted 39 subscribers. A few subscribers included Elliott Coues, the well-known ornithologist; Ohio native and 19th U.S. President Rutherford B. Hayes; then Harvard College student and future 26th U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt; and the Smithsonian Institution Libraries, which has two complete sets. The Jones family's work received universal praise after the publication of the first volume in 1879. Coues reported in the 1882 "Bulletin of the Nuttall Ornithology Club" that: "There has been nothing since Audubon in the way of pictorial illustrations of American ornithology to compare with the present work - nothing to claim the union of equal degree of artistic skill and scientific accuracy."

"Illustrations of the Nests and Eggs of Birds of Ohio" is a superb example of female-produced art of the Victorian era. Art was one of the few arenas which women could participate in without censure, and it was even a mark of cultivation and gentility. In both its subject matter--the natural world--and in the obsessive meticulousness of its details, the Jones family's ornithological lithographs resemble other female handicrafts of the period; one thinks of the elaborately layered sand art, ornate shell art, or ornamental algae scrapbooks of the Victorian era. The Jones family art studio could also be considered a cottage industry, well within the bounds of the domestic sphere.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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largest print measures 17.5" x 15.375"