THE AMERICAN RHOPALOCERA (The Macrolepidoptera of the World Vol. 5)

Stuttgart: Alfred Kernen, 1924. Book. Very Good. Hardcover. First Edition. Folio (32 x 25 cm). The English edition. 2 volumes (text & plates). Pp. (text) viii, 1139, [1]; (plates) pp. vi, [4], + 202 very fine chomolithographed plates [the title states there are 203 plates, but the plates are numbered from 1 to 194, but the following 'B', 'C' and 'D' plates are also present: 100B, 101B, 102B & 102C, 110B, 120B & 120D, and 113B making a total of 202 plates, so possibly 110C is missing. Note that plate 190 is bound at p. 1056 in the text volume]. Bound in contemporary or slightly later red buckram with gilt lettering to the spine, good and strong, a little worn and marked with some rubbing to edges, gilt dulled to the spine. Contents clean and tight, plates all very good, plates 146,147, 156, 157 & 165-169 with slight staining to the top margin, but not affecting the printed part. A very good copy. [Bibliographic note: the text volume includes two title pages - relating to the whole work "The Macrolepidoptera of the World", Vol 5 and specifically to this volume. "The American Rhopalocera" [Which includes both North and South America] This work, which was published in three language editions, German, English, & French is renowned for its outstanding colour plates, some of which required printing from up to 14 different colour blocks (including metallic inks), resulting in quality of colour printing so excellent that it has remained unsurpassed. But this meticulous chromolithographic printing was incredibly expensive and labour intensive. The project was hugely ambitious - to cover every known species of the World's Macrolepidoptera, but it was plagued by setbacks including two world wars and was never finished, after almost 50 years the project finally came to an end in 1954. The most important collections of butterflies and moths were consulted including those of L. W. Rothschild of Tring, the British Museum, the Paris Natural History Museum, and so on.] Please note these two volumes are large and heavy and a postal surcharge is likely to apply..