Hand-colored plate of "The Baltimore Oriole"...

Item # 676496 THE GENTLEMAN'S MAGAZINE, London, April, 1753

* Hand colored Woodcut of plate of "The Baltimore Bird" (Oriole) nesting in "The Virginian Tulip Tree"

One of the prime features of this issue is the plate showing: "The Baltimore Bird" (Oriole) nesting in "The Virginian Tulip Tree", which is hand-colored.
Among the additional articles within are: "Observation of the Moon's Eclipse"; a full page of text along with an illustration of: "A View & Description of the Isle of Procida", which is one of the islands in the Gulf of Naples, not far from the more famous Capri; an article with two prints on: "A Description of the Piscina Mirabile" in Italy; a print & article of a: "Machine for Perspectives"; "Of Drawing the Foul Air out of Hospitals" with a little illustration; and more. Near the back is the "Historical Chronicle" with the latest news reports of the day.
One of the plates called for is lacking.
Complete in 52 pages, 5 1/4 by 8 inches, full title/contents page featuring an engraving of St. John's Gate, very nice, clean condition.

AI notes: The April 1753 issue of The Gentleman's Magazine features a meticulously detailed copperplate engraving titled "The Baltimore Bird," a landmark piece of 18th-century natural history media that brought the exotic beauty of the American colonies to the British public. This illustration, significantly influenced by the earlier work of naturalist Mark Catesby, depicts a male Baltimore Oriole perched elegantly upon a branch of the Virginian Tulip Tree (Liriodendron tulipifera), showcasing the bird's striking plumage which mirrored the orange-and-black heraldry of Lord Baltimore. By publishing this plate, the magazine played a crucial role in democratizing scientific knowledge, distilling Catesby's expensive, large-scale folio into a portable format accessible to the rising middle class. Today, the engraving remains highly prized by collectors not only for its aesthetic charm but as a primary artifact of pre-Linnaean ornithology, marking a moment when the classification of North American wildlife was still a frontier of discovery.

A very nice magazine from before the French & Indian War with a wide range of varied content. This was the first periodical to use the word "magazine" in its title, having begun in 1731 and lasting until 1907.