Artist: Alexander Francis Lydon (British, 1836-1917). Engraver: Benjamin Fawcett (British, 1808-1893). Four chromolithographs entitled "Torgoch / Alpine Charr", "Windermere Charr / Cole's Charr / Gray's Charr", "Great Lake Trout", and "Gillaroo Trout" from William Houghton's "British Freshwater Fishes" (1879). Publisher: William Mackenzie, London. Four stunning chromolithographs, painstakingly hand-embellished with Gum Arabic, from William Houghton's "British Freshwater Fishes" (1879). Each plate is also contextualized with text on adjacent pages that describes the particular species as well as beautiful steel-cut engravings of angling locales "River Scene at Pont-Y-Cyffing", "Windermere", "Pass of Leny, Trossacks" and "Loch Awe." Size of woodblocks: 6.625" L x 10.375" W (16.8 cm x 26.4 cm) Size of sheets: 10.625" L x 14.375" W (27 cm x 36.5 cm)
Houghton studied the collection of freshwater fishes at the British Museum to create this work. Alexander Francis Lydon's images present each fish in its natural environment. Indeed, "British Freshwater Fish" is known for including naturalistic backgrounds. According to Handasyde Buchanan, "Houghton, a Shropshire clergyman, aimed his book at the fisherman rather than the naturalist, and the text (of which there is, unusually, plenty) gives information about recognition, feeding and breeding habits, habitat, bait and so on" (Buchanan, Nature into Art, 168).
Provenance: private John and Mary Williams collection, Boulder, Colorado, USA
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#165899
Condition
The chromolithographs have been separated from the contextualizing pages of text. Some expected toning, areas of discoloration to the peripheries, and areas of staining. Minor wear to peripheries of gold-rimmed pages with a few folded corners and nicks/losses to edges. Otherwise, the chromolithographs, engravings, and text passages are vivid and in overall very nice condition.