Richard Upton Piper Editor (1 results)

Small 4to. 36 color printed plates. Original dark brown embossed cloth, gilt-stamped title on upper cover; neatly rebacked with black cloth (to match), new endleaves. Fine copy. [TK 068] First American edition. The first surgical plates printed using George Baxter's cheaper, new oil color printing technique, a process that was patented in 1835. Expensive chromolithography was more expensive and limited in that only a few impressions could be pulled with lithographic presses that used soft lithographic stones. Baxter's method of color-inked blocks withstood larger numbers of impressions; further, the plates reproduced details with improved results over traditional stone lithography. / The plates for this edition were printed by John O'Neil at Charles H. Crosby, engraver & lithographer, Boston. They were reproduced from Joseph Maclise's Surgical Anatomy (1851), with an additional plate from Bourgery and Jacob's Traite complet de l'anatomie de l'homme (1831-54). / In his preface, Piper, a physician and artist, emphasized the innovativeness of the illustrations: "This is the first attempt, we believe, to give a series of scientific plates executed in this manner; and that they have therefore, during the progress of the work, been submitted to many of our most prominent scientific men, among whom may be mentioned Profs. Haywood, H. G. Bigelow, Agassiz, etc., etc., and have met with warm approval" - p. [iii]. See: Robert M. Burch, Colour Printing and Colour Printers, (1983), pp. 125-131. There was a London printing of the plates, included 30 plates (this American issue has 35 plates).