Edwards, George, 1694-1773

George Edwards, an ornithologist and artist, studied etching under Mark Catesby. His success as an artist enabled Edwards to self-publish via the Royal College of Physicians his multi-volume work: A natural history of uncommon birds (1743-1750). The buyer, noted on the receipt, is James West. West was a politician and noted bookcollector. As R. Charles Lucas notes, in his work, Book-collecting in the eighteenth century: The library of James West (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1949): West "was active as a collector during a long period in the middle of the eighteenth century, having begun his purchases while still a student in the 1720s, and continuing until shortly before his death in 1772" (p. 265).

From the description of Autograph receipt signed by George Edwards [manuscript], 1747 March 7. (Indiana University). WorldCat record id: 325121315