American conchology or descriptions of the shells of North America illustrated by coloured figures from original drawings executed from nature. by Say, T

New Harmony, Indiana. Privately published (printed at The School Press, and The M Press), 1830-1837. 8vo (23.2 x 15.0 cm). Seven parts in one. 68 engraved and delicately hand-coloured plates (several augmented with gum arabic). 20th-century full morocco. Spine with four raised bands and gilt title; boards with blind-tooled border with clam-like corner pieces. Original printed wrappers to all seven parts bound in. = Very rare, complete, and unusually clean set of the work as published by the American naturalist Thomas Say (1787-1834), with the additional part issued by Conrad after Say's untimely death. "[I]t has become one of the most sought collector's items, except Audubon, that the nineteenth century produced in America. ... it represents utilitarian, but beautiful printing at its best. The type is pleasing, the page lay-out symmetrical and the press work excellent. The colored plates surpass anything else produced in this country in delicacy and accuracy of detail" (Banta, p. 39). It contains 68 fine lithographic plates that are beautifully hand-coloured - each with accompanying explanatory text. Most of the drawing and colouring is by Lucy Say, and ranks among the best ever done, being far superior to that of many contemporary natural history illustrations in detail and subtlety. ALL the original printed wrappers are present. These are of great importance as they contain additional text, including corrections, additional descriptions and new synonymies not found elsewhere. "There was a more honourable motive behind the production of Thomas Say's American conchology. Forsaking the world of learning, to which he had contributed significantly, Say adopted a simple lifestyle on the banks of the Wabash in Indiana. He threw in his lot with a small band of idealistic settlers who had gathered there to work together and live in peace, their little township being optimistically named New Harmony. He became business manager to the community and set up a hand printing press. Between 1830 and 1834, when he died, he produced the seven parts comprising his American conchology, his wife Lucy helping to produce the illustrations and supervising their colouring. ... Say's book laid the foundation of our knowledge of American molluscs. Considering its author worked in a wilderness with primitive equipment it is a minor miracle that the book was issued at all" (Peter Dance). On one of the wrappers, Say announces his leaflet Glossary to the American Conchology, which is clearly a separate work. Provenance: blind-stamp of the museum curator James D. Bennehoff (the the veterinarian James De Sett Bennehoff [1879-1947]?) on the first title. From 1908 to after 1921 James D. Bennehoff was curator at the Allen Steinheim Museum of Natural History, formerly a part of Alfred University (founded 1836), a private university in Alfred, NY "When operating in the 1930s, it was considered the second oldest college museum in the United States. The Federal Writers Project described the museum as exhibiting a unique collection of 'rare shells, mounted birds and animals, Indian artifacts and pioneer agricultural implements, early American pottery, Steigel and Sandwich glass, and the finest workmanship in the ceramic arts'. The building ceased being used as a museum in the early 1950s, was used as classroom space, and then fell into disrepair" (Wikipedia). Text and plates unmarked. Uncut. Some light age-toning and offsetting to a few plates (usually, browning and offsetting are widespread); stain to the top margin of a few plates and the wrappers, but few spots elsewhere. In all a very good, complete copy. Banta, The American Conchology: a venture in backwoods book printing (The Colophon, 1938); Caprotti II, p. 55 (219); Dance, Shell Collecting, p. 142; Nissen ZBI, 3614; Sabin, 77368.