Making the Prodromus

Like many books of the time, the Prodromus Decades were sold by subscription, with an expectation that the purchaser would have them bound in a manner meeting their tastes and needs.

Intended only as preliminary studies, these 'Decades' enabled the publication of species as they came to hand, without systematic order or having to wait for the completion of any group of animals.

With the publication of Decade Ten, McCoy announced the first volume of the Prodromus of the Zoology of Victoria complete. Having provided a systematic index allowing the plates to be bound in zoological order, with illustrations of each class grouped together, he also suggested that some might prefer to bind the plates and corresponding letterpress in the order of their original appearance.

Similarly, at the completion of Decade Twenty, the second volume of the Prodromus could also be bound. It included a new systematic index combining the contents of both volumes, compiled by Mr Simons, McCoy's secretary.

Binding could be as unique as the individual, enabling the creation of a utilitarian working volume or a beautiful show piece. Within weeks of the publication of Decade Twenty, McCoy received both volumes bound in crimson with gold gilt edge, a task Government printer Robert Bain assured McCoy he personally oversaw. McCoy later ordered another full-bound set as a working copy for the museum, less ornate but still attractive.

For those who waited seven years for the first volume then a further five years for the second, a completed and bound set served as both a useful scientific reference and a visible indicator of the owner's cultural wealth.