Preliminary identification
Photo reference
5 uploaded photos
Overview
This is a 1926 hardbound edition from The Nature Library series, specifically focusing on birds and featuring 48 vibrant full-color plate illustrations by artist R.E. Todhunter. The book is bound in dark textured cloth with blind-stamped borders and an embossed gilded medallion on the front cover depicting two birds.
Story
Published in 1926, this volume catered to the booming early 20th-century American amateur naturalist movement. Doubleday created these accessible field guides to spark environmental awareness in families long before modern conservation programs existed.
Maker / Origin
Doubleday, Page & Company was one of America's premier publishers in the early 20th century, famous for producing lavishly illustrated reference books that made science accessible to everyday households.
Condition & Value
The book shows light shelf wear on the cloth edges and corners, with mild fading to the cover gilding, but the internal pages and color plates remain clean and bright. Good condition overall for a 1920s field guide.
Full Research
Sold comps, value drivers, and venue guidance pulled from recent auction results.
Build on this identification
Layer in sold comps, value drivers, and venue guidance.
Comparable demand stays strongest where maker, originality, and venue confidence line up. Broader examples still trade, but the range tightens quickly when provenance, condition, or selling lane fit is missing.
Best Venue
Specialty auction or a focused dealer with buyers already in this lane.
Signed example with light edge wear and original frame.
Comparable format with stronger provenance and cleaner surface.
Smaller related piece with visible craquelure and trimmed margins.
Period match with softer condition and weaker subject matter.
Close market lane comp with similar material and presentation.