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Wild Life at Home
London, Cassell and Company, 1898. A very early volume of instruction for amateur naturalists and photographers from the Kearton brothers, pioneers in the field of wildlife photography. Text by Richard and photographs by Cherry. This is a review copy, having belonged to reviewer J.P. Sheldon, the agricultural economist, who wrote about the book for High Peak News in January, 1899. Sheldon's review, which considered photography as performed by the Keartons (often accomplished via climbing or rappelling or hiding inside of animal hides) to be a sport, was highly favorable, and an autographed letter signed from Richard Kearton to Sheldon, thanking him on behalf of himself and his brother, is tipped in. Sheldon's review, plus two others, are tipped in next to Kearton's letter near the rear of the book, just prior to the advertisements. A seminal volume -- intent on popularizing a whole new field of photography -- the book was revised and reissued multiple times within the first decade after this first publication. Clearly the Keartons' idea -- that they could offer enough information about pursuing the "hunt" for great wildlife photographs -- resonated with a large populace eager to follow suit. Mottling to cloth, tanning to spine, prior dampening to boards: a good, solid copy, without dust jacket. [#033520] SOLD

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