Unger, Franz of Vienna; and Samuel Higley. Ideal Views of the Primitive World, in its Geological and Paleontological Phases. by Dr. F. Unger of Vienna. Edited by Samuel Higley. Illustrated by Seventeen Photographic Plates. London. Printed by Taylor and Francis. 1859.
Franz Unger [1800-1870] was an influential Viennese botanist who authored several early and innovative works on prehistoric life. The present was originally published in German as Die Urvelt, and contained lithographs depicting different periods in Earth's history, such as the Muschelkalk [i.e. the Middle Triassic) and the Weald [i.e. the Early Cretaceous].
As a pioneer paleobotanist, Unger paid more attention to the plants than the prehistoric animals that walked among them, but he did include his share of amphibians, reptiles, and invertebrates in his depictions.
Soon after its original publication in Europe, it was translated into the English, Ideal Views of the Primitive World. It is a true curiosity from a printing perspective. The English edition was a smaller format. To reproduce the lithographs, they were photographically reproduced and mounted to blank sheets. This makes Ideal Views one of the very earliest photographically illustrated books extant.
The images are spectacular. The Weald contains three dinosaurs, two Iguanodon and a Hylaeosaurus. The Muschelkalk includes ammonites and a Nothosaurus giganteus prospecting for dinner. The frontispiece is our favorite; depicting a group of Benjamin Waterhouse Hawkins’ miniature dinosaur models. The scene was created and photographed especially for this edition of Unger’s book.
A copy of Die Urvelt with similar page condition to the present sold at Swann for $7,000 with commissions [Sale 2624, Lot 213]. Rare scientific bookseller Jeremy Norman & Co sold a copy of the English version as here in recased cloth 11 years ago for just over $4,000.00
Retains the freemasonry-heavy bookplate of A. E. Bachert. Bachert was a well-known book collector and freemason, authoring a fascinating work, now scarce, on the history of freemason iconography represented in bookplates throughout history.
Norman notes the edition as being only 250 copies published in the edition. The present the only example we have seen in leather; all others have been cloth. Front board is detached, upper 40% of spine cover is absent. All plates present, moderately foxed. Plates retain good, crisp images. In need of a little TLC or a quality, custom book-box. We are happy to help facilitate that at cost if the purchaser wishes.