Hispania Rare Books

£1700.00

Horacio Descole (1910-1984)

Buenos Aires: Guillermo Kraft Ltd.  Sociedad Anonima de Impresiones Generales. 1948,

Genera et Species Animalium Argentinorum  Opus. Adiuvante personali Institutionis Michaelis Lillo. Musei Argentini Historiae Naturalis Bernardino Rivadavia. Et Musei Argentini Hitoriae Naturalis ” Bernardino Rivadavia”.

First edition, 4 vols, 4to, (355mm x 260mm), pp [X]+ 389+ [viii] ; [X], 388, [x] ; [xiv]+ 472+ [vi] ; [viii]+447+[iv]  98 Plates (63 coloured), original editorial cloth, limited edition of 1000 signed copies, this numbered 661,885,764,79.

Horacio Descole compiled and directed the corpus Genera et Species Animalium Argentinorum, a scientific work that addresses the nomenclature, description and classification of all animal species in Argentina.  These works were published by the Miguel Lillo Foundation and the National University of Tucumán between 1943 and 1956. The books were printed by Editorial Kraft in Buenos Aires, and the illustrations, whenever possible, are life-size. This relationship contributed to their closer resemblance to living flora than those commonly used in scientific works, “thus allowing those who are not professional botanists to determine with relative ease the genus and species of the plants that interest them,” praised the compiler, Descole.  UNESCO considered Genera et Species… one of the most important scientific contributions of the 20th century, which aspired to be a complete record of Argentine flora and fauna. 

Rarity:  very rare in the market, I could not trace any sale of the complete 4 volume set.

Condition: vols 1 and 2 slightly discoloured, hinges starting vol 1 & 4 w/tape, occasional browning.   Very heavy, will require additional postage.  A nice set of a beautiful book.