MANUAL OF THE BIRDS OF ICELAND [Provenance - From the private collection of Henrik Gronvold]

Edinburgh: David Douglas, 1901. Book. Illus. by J. W. Frohawk. Very Good. Hardcover. First Edition. 8vo. From the private collection of artist, Henrik Gronvold pp, xxiii, 150, [2-adverts]; b/w frontispiece plate by J. W. Frohawk; 2 further b/w plates after photographs, folding colour map. Original dark green ribbed cloth binding with gilt lettering to the spine, bright and unfaded, very good with a little wear to the boards, edges and spine top and bottom. Contents clean and tight, endpapers a little toned, signed by Henrik Gronvold to the half title and title page, a few annotations in pencil, otherwise unmarked, A very good copy with an interesting provenance. [Henrik Grönvold (1858-1940) A Danish naturalist and artist. From an early age, he developed an interest in natural history and spent his time drawing the birds and animals around him. In his early years he studied drawing in Copenhagen, Denmark. In 1892, Grönvold left for America by way of England. It was in London that he landed a job preparing bird skeletons for the Natural History Museum. There he developed skill as a taxidermist and established his reputation as an artist. In 1895, Gronvold accompanied William Ogilvie-Grant on an expedition to the Savage islands, returning later to continue as an artist at the Museum. . His illustrations largely appeared in scientific periodicals such as the Proceedings and Transactions of the Zoological Society, The Ibis and The Avicultural Magazine. In these publications, he drew plates for William Ogilvie-Grant, George Albert Boulenger, and Michael Rogers Oldfield Thomas, among others. Grønvold also completed numerous plates for Walter Rothschild, many of which appeared in Rothschild's journal Novitates Zoologicae. Grønvold mostly illustrated birds and eggs, rare and newly discovered species from many parts of the world, and mostly worked in lithographs. His egg plates include some of great auk eggs made for Alfred Newton. He made some depictions of mammals as well, and the Natural History Museum collection has oil paintings of apes he made for Rothschild.].