Rare!, only 200 made, less remain, never framed (unused) 1)HALCYON CONCRETA (Sumatran Kingfisher) 2)TANYSIPTERA SYLVIA (Cinnamon-Breasted Kingfisher) These very rare and striking hand-colored bird lithographs (and descriptive pages) are from the first edition Richard Bowdler Sharpe’s work A Monograph of the Alcedinae: or Family of Kingfishers. The work was published in London by Sharpe between 1868 and 1871. This first edition was limited to 200 copies. The lithographs for the work were all by and after the noted artist J. G. Keulemans. "Richard Bowdler Sharpe was only twenty-one years old when he began publication of his monograph of the kingfishers, yet he was already librarian of the Zoological Society and had earned himself sufficient respect to obtain the full cooperation of such important personages as Professor Schlegel 'who not only did his utmost to assist me during my visit to Leiden, but allowed me to bring to England all the specimens which I considered indispensible to the satisfactory completion of my book'. Schlegel, in addition to his generosity with specimens, had introduced Sharpe to his illustrator, Keulemans, and had thus seen another of his young protégés leave Leyden for London. Like many of the earlier bird books, 'A Monograph of the Alcedinidae' was privately printed for the author..." (Skipwith, The Great Bird Illustrators, page 132) Dimensions ~ 8 3/4" by 12" CONDITION, at least VG SHARPE (Richard Bowdler): A MONOGRAPH OF THE ALCEDINIDAE, or Family of Kingfishers, London, by the Author, 1868-71 realised Estimate GBP 2,500 – GBP 3,500 Price realised GBP 5,060 Closed: 31 Oct 1991 LOT 442• SHARPE (RICHARD BOWDLER) A Monograph of the Alcedinidae: or, Family of Kingfishers Sold for 5,520 (US$ 7,103) inc. premium