Mushrooms in Their Natural Habitats, with Stereoscope and 33 Stereographic Reels
Portland: Sawyer's Inc., 1949.
First Edition. Hardcover. Experience the fairyland of mushrooms as you never have before in this 1949 tome on the subject accompanied by a stereoscope viewer and 231 fantastic images. Dr. Alexander Hanchett Smith (1904-1986) was a renowned authority on mycology whose contributions to the taxonomy and phylogeny of the higher fungi earned him the honor of having several fungal taxa bear his name. This set of book, stereoscope, and reels forms a true tribute to his life and work. The mushroom stereographs are the work of William Gruber, the inventor of the View-Master himself. Smith intended this work to operate as “a foray into the woods in the company of a specialist” as well as “a carefully prepared treatise.” Whether, as Smith goes on to detail in his introduction, your interest in mushrooms derives from the thrill of the hunt (“Any one may chance upon some rare or unusual fungus of great scientific interest or even one as yet undescribed"), the appreciation of beauty (“the various forms, the bright colors, or the peculiar markings which…are strikingly beautiful and have always inspired both photographers and artists"), or the enjoyment of feasting (“Some species are highly prized as delicacies”), you will certainly find not only answers, but a companion of unrivaled experience and enthusiasm, Mr. A. H. Smith himself here in this exceptional set, containing the extensive work of the influential mycologist in Mushrooms in Their Natural Habitats with accompanying 33 stereograph reels and Viewfinder stereoscope.
This set is oversize and will require additional postage to ship internationally; please contact us for a shipping quote.
9 3/8" X 6 3/8". xiv, 626pp; plus stereoscope viewfinder and 33 stereographic reels in original book-case, often found within a faux "Volume II" case made to look like Volume I (the book here), but that case is missing here; contents are complete however. Both Volume I and Reels book-case bound in red morocco-grain cloth over boards, with upper board and spine lettered in gilt. Gentle edgewear to bindings, with some light bumping to extremities. Red topstain to Volume I. Binding is firm and sound. Pages are clean and unmarked. The stereoscope is in working order and all 33 reels are present within original sleeves, securely packed in their original book. The 33 reels contain 7 images each for a total of 231 stereographic views of mushrooms of all kinds. Very good. Item #13986
Price: $850.00