A Field Guide To Western Birds by Roger Tory Peterson (1961 Second Edition Reprint) - Audubon Society Endorsed 🐦🧭🇺🇸

$45.00
A Field Guide To Western Birds by Roger Tory Peterson (1961 Second Edition Reprint) - Audubon Society Endorsed 🐦🧭🇺🇸
A Field Guide To Western Birds by Roger Tory Peterson (1961 Second Edition Reprint) - Audubon Society Endorsed 🐦🧭🇺🇸
A Field Guide To Western Birds by Roger Tory Peterson (1961 Second Edition Reprint) - Audubon Society Endorsed 🐦🧭🇺🇸
A Field Guide To Western Birds by Roger Tory Peterson (1961 Second Edition Reprint) - Audubon Society Endorsed 🐦🧭🇺🇸
A Field Guide To Western Birds by Roger Tory Peterson (1961 Second Edition Reprint) - Audubon Society Endorsed 🐦🧭🇺🇸
A Field Guide To Western Birds by Roger Tory Peterson (1961 Second Edition Reprint) - Audubon Society Endorsed 🐦🧭🇺🇸
A Field Guide To Western Birds by Roger Tory Peterson (1961 Second Edition Reprint) - Audubon Society Endorsed 🐦🧭🇺🇸
A Field Guide To Western Birds by Roger Tory Peterson (1961 Second Edition Reprint) - Audubon Society Endorsed 🐦🧭🇺🇸
A Field Guide To Western Birds by Roger Tory Peterson (1961 Second Edition Reprint) - Audubon Society Endorsed 🐦🧭🇺🇸
A Field Guide To Western Birds by Roger Tory Peterson (1961 Second Edition Reprint) - Audubon Society Endorsed 🐦🧭🇺🇸
A Field Guide To Western Birds by Roger Tory Peterson (1961 Second Edition Reprint) - Audubon Society Endorsed 🐦🧭🇺🇸
A Field Guide To Western Birds by Roger Tory Peterson (1961 Second Edition Reprint) - Audubon Society Endorsed 🐦🧭🇺🇸
A Field Guide To Western Birds by Roger Tory Peterson (1961 Second Edition Reprint) - Audubon Society Endorsed 🐦🧭🇺🇸
A Field Guide To Western Birds by Roger Tory Peterson (1961 Second Edition Reprint) - Audubon Society Endorsed 🐦🧭🇺🇸
A Field Guide To Western Birds by Roger Tory Peterson (1961 Second Edition Reprint) - Audubon Society Endorsed 🐦🧭🇺🇸
A Field Guide To Western Birds by Roger Tory Peterson (1961 Second Edition Reprint) - Audubon Society Endorsed 🐦🧭🇺🇸
A Field Guide To Western Birds by Roger Tory Peterson (1961 Second Edition Reprint) - Audubon Society Endorsed 🐦🧭🇺🇸
A Field Guide To Western Birds by Roger Tory Peterson (1961 Second Edition Reprint) - Audubon Society Endorsed 🐦🧭🇺🇸
A Field Guide To Western Birds by Roger Tory Peterson (1961 Second Edition Reprint) - Audubon Society Endorsed 🐦🧭🇺🇸

This volume is an authenticated later printing (14th Printing, 1961 Second Edition) of A Field Guide to Western Birds by Roger Tory Peterson.

This book is a foundational text in American ornithology and a key title in the prestigious Peterson Field Guide Series.

The book's authority is further elevated by its official sponsorship from the National Audubon Society and National Wildlife Federation. This piece is a strong acquisition for collectors of 20th-century scientific literature and American conservation history.

 

2. About the Artwork/Book/Object 📖✍️✨

 

A Field Guide to Western Birds focuses on the identification of all bird species found in North America west of the 100th meridian. The content is specifically designed for quick, accurate identification in the field, utilizing Peterson's revolutionary system of "field marks".

The book includes a special section on the birds of the Hawaiian Islands. The illustrations are a significant feature, organized into unique plates that focus on "Roadside Silhouettes," "Shore Silhouettes," and detailed field marks for various species. The "Roadside Silhouettes" page, for example, illustrates the Mourning Dove, Bluebird, and Kingfisher against a barbed wire fence. This visual method transformed bird watching from an academic pursuit into a popular American pastime.

 

3. About the Artist/Author/Maker ✍️🏛️

 

Roger Tory Peterson (1908–1996) was one of the world's most influential naturalists, ornithologists, and conservationists. He is credited with revolutionizing the field guide through his innovative system of quickly identifying birds by their distinct visual field marks. Peterson published the first of his famous guides in 1934, making this volume a continuation of his life's work.

Peterson's impact extended beyond publishing; he was a leader in the American conservation movement, and his guides are considered a direct educational tool of the National Audubon Society. He was also a noted author and photographer, with the text and illustrations all executed by Peterson himself. His dedication to scientific accuracy and public education cemented his legacy as a towering figure in 20th-century natural history.

 

4. Historical/Political Era Context 🌍🕰️📜

 

This specific printing, dated 1961 in copyright and 1961/1962 in printing (14th Printing of the Second Edition), places the book at the dawn of the Modern American Environmental Movement. The original Second Edition was published as the nation entered the 1960s, a decade that would bring intense scrutiny to environmental issues.

This book’s sponsorship by the National Audubon Society and the National Wildlife Federation directly reflects the increasing institutional authority and visibility of conservation groups following World War II. Peterson's work was vital in building a massive public constituency for conservation, transforming bird watching from an elite hobby into a widespread cultural practice. The book is a time capsule of the period just prior to the publication of Rachel Carson's Silent Spring, documenting the foundational scientific work that helped spur modern environmental awareness.

 

5. The Ideal Collector 💡🧐🏛️

 

This volume is tailored for a Curator of American Scientific and Conservation History and a Scholar of Western Naturalism. The Ideal Collector is someone who seeks books with verifiable institutional endorsement from bodies like the Audubon Society.

The book belongs in a collection that focuses on the complete works of Roger Tory Peterson or a specialized library of regional American field guides. Its strong, clean aesthetic and authoritative content make it a highly respected and essential piece of 20th-century scientific Americana.

 

6. Value & Rarity 💎✨🏛️

 

This book is a later printing (14th Printing, Second Edition) from the early 1960s. As a mass-market field guide, it is a common edition, and its market scarcity is low. This dictates a mandatory deduction from the ceiling price of the scarce 1941 First Edition.

The book's value is primarily secured by its high Content Scarcity and Institutional Authority. The book is an iconic Peterson Field Guide, officially sponsored by the leading American conservation organizations. The binding is the sought-after classic green cloth design. The volume is a strong acquisition for a collector seeking a clean, aesthetically superior, and historically authoritative copy of this field-defining text.

 

7. Condition 🔎📚✨

 

This is an authenticated 14th Printing hardcover (Second Edition) lacking the original dust jacket. The binding is a light green cloth with black stamping.

  • Positive Qualities:

    • The binding is tight and square, providing excellent structural integrity.

    • The light green cloth is clean and retains its original color.

    • The unique bird silhouette endpapers and illustrations are clean and intact.

    • The handwritten owner's mark is confined to the flyleaf.

  • Imperfections:

    • The spine shows minor sunning and light rubbing to the ends.

    • The absence of the original dust jacket mandates a significant deduction from the full collectible price.

 

8. Fun Facts & Unique Features 🤓📜🤩

 

  • Roger Tory Peterson's first field guide was published in 1934 and was so revolutionary that it eventually sold over 7 million copies.

  • The publisher used a reverse-sequential code on the copyright page (C 20 19 18 17 16 15 14) where the lowest number, 14, indicates this is the 14th printing of the Second Edition.

  • The book is part of The Peterson Field Guide Series, which, according to the inner list, covers a vast range of subjects from Birds to "Stars and Planets" and "Insects of America".

  • The illustrations on the inside covers are not generic but are specific "Roadside Silhouettes" and "Shore Silhouettes", designed to be used by observers looking at the birds in the distance.

 

9. Supporting Information 🏷️📦💰

 

  • Title: A Field Guide To Western Birds (The Peterson Field Guide Series)

  • Author/Illustrator: Roger Tory Peterson

  • Year of Publication: 1961 (Second Edition Copyright) / 1962 or later (14th Printing)

  • Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Company

  • Place of Origin: Boston, Printed in the United States of America

  • Format/Binding: Hardcover, Green Cloth Boards

  • Edition: Second Edition, 14th Printing

  • Rarity: Common Edition, High Institutional Authority

  • Verbatim Transcription of Inscription/Marking: On the front free endpaper: “DLR 501” and “4–”.

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