Monograph of the Phasianidae

A Monograph of the Phasianidae
by Daniel Giraud Elliot
Josef Mathias WOLF (1820-1899, artist)
A true facsimile edition of all the 79 hand-coloured lithographic plates including title and index page. The edition is cased in an beautiful and elegant hand-crafted Solander box covered in a special dark brown linen and embossed on the cover in gold.

As a special offer we will also include a free Audubon’s facsimile print California Partridge with a retail value of € 252,--

V.A.T.
As a result of the EU single market legislation we are required to charge our EU customers 6% V.A.T.

Technical information
1870-1872
Paper Size:
imperial folio size ( 59 x 46 cm) as the original lithographs
Content: 1 title page 1 content page with all titles of the prints
79 plates after J. Wolf
Solander box: all prints in a special made Solander box

The 'Monograph of the Phasianidae' is considered the highest achievement of Elliot's career. Elliot was fascinated by the dramatic appearance and behavior of these birds. Each specimen is placed in its natural landscape habitat, to show to greatest effect the brilliant splendor of its plumage. Anker praises Wolf's 'beautiful colored plates... among the best ever produced for Elliot's monographs,' as Sacheverell Sitwell's 'Fine Bird Books' judges the prints to be 'of the same rank as Audubon and Edward Lear.' Each lithograph is completely hand-colored and printed on an Imperial Folio size sheet. Joseph Wolf, who was 'without exception, the best all-round animal artist who ever lived' (Sir Edwin Landseer). The plates in Elliot's Monograph of the... Birds of Paradise, 'almost as magnificent as the birds they portray, were the fruits of Elliot's considerable wealth, Wolf's great artistry and both men's profound knowledge and love of birds' (Dance). Elliot writes in the preface `The drawings of Mr. Wolf will, I am sure, receive the admiration of those who see them; for, like all that artist's productions, they cannot be surpassed, if equalled, at the present time. Mr. J. Smit has lithographed the drawings with his usual conscientious fidelity, and in his share of the work has left me nothing to desire... In the coloring of the plates Mr. J.D. White has faithfully followed the originals; and in the difficult portions where it was necessary to produce the metallic hues, he has been very successful'. The magnificent size and beautiful colouring of the plates after Joseph Wolf's charcoal drawings reflect the importance which Elliot attached to the Phasianidae. Of all the families in the ornithological system, he regarded it as the one most vital to the human race, "containing within it the species that afford food for thousands of mankind, and also those which are the original source of all the domestic poultry met with throughout the civilized world."


Heritage Editions BV is proud to introduce a Fine Art Facsimile Edition of the complete Daniel Giraud Elliot’s ‘A Monograph of the Phasianidae’ with 79 plates. Cased in an elegant hand-crafted Solander box covered in a special dark red linen and embossed on the cover with the title in gold. All 79 plates in imperial folio size (59 x 46 cm) plus title-page and index.

The Heritage Editions , is the only authentic facsimile of the work of Elliot. They are taken from the original copies held in the libraries of Teylers Museum (Netherlands). These facsimiles are absolutely faithful to the original copies, being of the same size, and thus are difficult to separate visually from the originals. Hence, they are of great archival value, and are in any case rare prints in their own right because produced in a small quantity. The printing is so accurate that from behind glass, the naked eye is unable to distinguish the original from the facsimile. Lastly, the prints are cased-in an elegant hand-crafted Solander box covered in a special dark red linen and embossed on the cover with the title in gold. Each facsimile has it all: every incredibly fine line detail of every lithographic plate; every delicate watercolor brushstroke of every Wolf ; even the subtle signs of character and patina the paper shows after 150 years. The original edition of this beautiful work was only 150 copies. Elliot’s imperial folio edition (59 x 46 cm) was hand-made for a small select group of subscribers. Recent documentary evidence suggests that the lithograph stones to this work were destroyed after only 150 copies were taken (see Sotheby’s London, 5 June 2001). Despite this work’s American origin, it is rare in the United States. Of the 119 copies in the subscriber's list, only 13 were intended for Americans.

The facsimile edition in cooperation with Teylers Museum.

Our Monograph of the Phasianidae Collection is made from an extremely well-preserved early Elliot subscription , which has been cared for in the hands of one owner only – Teylers Museum – Haarlem - The Netherlands (the oldest museum of the Netherlands). According to Teylers documents Teylers acquired the set 1872. Our Heritage Edition prints are indistinguishable from these Teylers originals.

Strictly limited Edition of 250 copies.

The edition will be limited to two hundred and fifty complete sets in Solander boxes, numbered 1/250 to 250/250, with an additional five boxes hors de commerce, numbered HC I/V to HC V/V.

Return Guarantee

We know that our facsimiles are perfect – but we know that you won’t know this until you see one for yourself. So, if you’re not perfectly satisfied with this portfolio we’ve made for you, you can return it to us within thirty days in its original perfect condition and packed in its original shipping container . We’ll credit back to you the full purchase price of the portfolio you return. You will only be responsible for return shipping costs.

Hand-crafted Solander-box with gold lettering.

The complete set will be cased in an elegant hand-crafted Solander-box covered in a special dark red linen and embossed on the cover with the title in gold.

Certificate of Authenticity

Every box is accompanied with a certificate of authenticity. The certificate gives you as buyer a guaranty of quality standards and it adds fine art value.

Delivery time 4 weeks.

As the box will be made on demand by Holland’s best professional bookbinder we must ask for a delivery time of 4 weeks after receiving your payment.