Ellis and Ford, Dissections in a Series of Original Coloured Plates, 1867

Illustrations of Dissections in a Series of Original Coloured Plates the Size of Life, Representing the Dissection of the Human Body, with Descriptive Letter-Press in Demy Octavo. By George Viner Ellis, Professor of Anatomy in University College, London; and G. H. Ford, Esq. The Drawings are from Nature and on Stone by Mr. Ford from Dissections by Professor Ellis. London: James Walton, Bookseller and Publisher to University College, 137, Gower Street. 1867. 
 
Atlas only. (Never bound) 
 
58 plates, one title leaf, and two leaves of preliminaries, housed in a blue and marbled paper chemise with title label on front board, with brown ribbon ties. Title, and each plate in empty space, stamped with library stamps. All plates with marginal toning, and minimal foxing. One corner of Plate XL a bit tattered and crumbling. Images remain bright and clean. 
 
According to his obituary, George Viner Ellis, F.R.C.S was one of the original Fellows of the Royal College of Surgeons of England. He was demonstrator under Richard Quain at the University College, until 1850 when replaced Quain as chair of Anatomy. He retired in 1877 as Emeritus Professor. “...in his day he was one of the ruling spirits of the world of anatomy in this country.” We learn also that he was extremely stern, but highly respected. He despised tobacco smoking in the dissection room, and on rare occasions of benevolence, he would tell his students of the days of the resurrectionists. He was co-editor along with Sharpey on the sixteenth edition of Quain’s anatomy. His own textbook received universal acceptance in England and America. “beloved by few and feared by many,” he apparently was not so unkind as others suspected, but “hid his generous deeds as most men hide their sins.” In retirement he engaged in the horticulture of apples, and largely forgot, and was forgotten by, his profession because he never cared to interact much with his peers while engaged in said profession. (The British Medical Journal, May 5, 1900, page 1132). 
 
George Henry Ford was a South African illustrator of natural history, born in 1808 (died 1876). He joined the British Museum in 1837.