41 handsome superb chromolithographs Game Fish (salmon, Trout, Pike, Perch etc.). Notable not only for the fine compositions showing one or two fish on the riverbank, but for the detailed topography in the background. In addition to the plates are 38 engravings depicting the waters of the British Isles in which the fishes are found. The splendid original plates are becoming increasingly rare, since they are a favorite among interior designers and print galleries.

Renowned color-plate study of British fresh water fish. The 41 exceptional color plates generally show one, two, or a few fish lying on the banks of their natural habitat or superimposed over a landscape view.  Sometimes they are depicted naturalistically, swimming in an underwater setting.  Also contain 38 engraved heading views of regions where the fish are found and numerous diagrams. 

According to the title page of British Fresh-Water Fishes, the author, Rev. W. Houghton, served as rector of Preston-on-the-Weald Moors, Shropshire .  At the same time, he was a serious naturalist and was a Fellow of the Linnaean Society of London, a scientific society for the study of biology founded in 1788.  For this work, Houghton studied the specimens in the collection of the British Museum .  This work was originally printed in 2 volumes in 1879, and was notable for its incorporation of the naturalistic backgrounds of the fish habitats. 

Benjamin Fawcett was a printer in Diffield, Yorkshire , England , noted for his mastery of color woodblock printing.  Alexander Francis Lydon was a painter and draftsman who began as Fawcett’s apprentice and became his frequent collaborator.  Together they produced the plates for many illustrated natural history and topographic works, including a number of works by Francis Orpen Morris.  They also contributed illustrations to natural history books by other authors, such as William Thomas Greene's three-volume Parrots in Captivity (1882-87). (Also available on CD VOL.1 VOL. 2  VOL. 3)

ONE OF THE GREAT MUSTS OF 19^th CENTURY FISH IMAGES

 References: Nissen, Claus. Die Zoologische Buchillustration: ihre Bibliographie und Geschichte. Stuttgart :1969-78.