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Description
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Strata Identified by Organized Fossils, Containing Prints on Colored Paper of the Most Characteristic Specimens in each Stratum, 1st ed., London: W. Arding, June 1, 1816, 18 leaves, paginated [4] 1-32, hand-col. eng. frontis. and 18 hand-col. or hand-tinted eng. plts. (2 printed on plain paper, 5 on col. paper & 11 on paper tinted to one side), plates 1-3 numbered the remainder unnumbered (plate 1 numbered "2"), occ. slight offsetting and spotting, ink library shelf number to upper outer corner of title, old library label to upper pastedown, contemp. half calf, morocco title label to spine, some loss of leather to spine, joints cracked and slight wear, slim 4to, together with Stratigraphical System of Organized Fossils, with Reference to the Specimens of the Original Geological Collection in the British Museum: Explaining their State of Preservation and their use in Identifying the British Strata, 1st ed., 1817, two folding hand-col. tables (the first is engraved), some offsetting and two short closed-tears to first table (one repaired to verso), ink library shelf number to upper outer corner of title, occ. minor scattered spotting, old library label to front free endpaper, manuscript note and armorial bookplate of John Phillips F.R.S. of St. Mary's Lodge, York to upper pastedown, contemp. half calf, lacking title label to spine, slightly torn at head & foot, spine and extrems. rubbed, slim 4to
Both of these works were published in very small pressruns and are very rare. The fine engravings of fossils contained in the first work are by James Sowerby (1757-1822). The work is a highly original presentation of Smith's discovery of the correlation of particular groups of fossil types with different geological strata, with each fossil group printed on a differently coloured paper, intended to match the shade of the respective geological stratum depicted. Smith originally intended to publish the work in seven parts, but only four were published. Challinor 79; Dibner Heralds 94; Eyles 14; Ward & Carozzi 2074; Norman 1959. The second work includes more detailed descriptions of the fossils found in different geological strata in England, based on Smith's own fossil collection, which he sold to the British Museum a year earlier. A second part, advertised on the contents page was never published. Both of these works were published in very small pressruns and are very rare. Eyles 15; Ward & Carozzi 2075; Norman 1960. (2)
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