1908 Standard Library of Natural History Set | Antique Zoology Ethnography Books | Living Animals of the World | University Society NY

This remarkable antique four-volume set from The Standard Library of Natural History was published by The University Society, Inc., New York, in 1908. Richly illustrated and encyclopedic in scope, these substantial volumes explore both the animal kingdom and early twentieth-century world geography and anthropology through hundreds of detailed engravings, photographs, and color plates.

Included in this set are:

• Volume I — Mammals

• Volume III — Fishes, Reptiles, and Insects

• Volume IV — Oceania, Asia, and Africa

• Volume V — Africa, Europe, and America

Each volume measures approximately 8.25” x 10.5” and contains roughly 600 pages of text and illustration, including both black-and-white and color imagery. These books are in good antique condition overall and remain highly displayable and readable. They are former library books with expected library markings and discard stamps. There is also occasional minor pencil writing, generally light and difficult to notice.

Edited by noted naturalist Charles J. Cornish, The Standard Library of Natural History was conceived as an expansive early twentieth-century survey of zoology, natural science, geography, and anthropology. The series compiled writings and illustrations from prominent scientists, explorers, and natural historians of the era, presenting the natural world in a format intended for educated home libraries.

Volume I focuses on mammals from around the globe, featuring extensive discussions of wild animals, habitat, classification, and behavior alongside striking engraved and photographic illustrations.

Volume III explores fishes, reptiles, amphibians, insects, and other invertebrates, documenting both common and exotic species through detailed scientific descriptions and period natural history artwork.

Volumes IV and V shift toward global geography and ethnography, surveying the peoples, cultures, and environments of Oceania, Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Americas as understood and documented in the early 1900s. These volumes contain fascinating period photography, maps, and illustrations that reflect both the scholarship and worldview of the Edwardian era.