Published by John Gould (London, England)
5 volumes and supplement, 1861-1887
Gift of Mrs. Dudley Blossom, 1928
Dimensions: 22.25 x 15.5 x 2.5 inches
John Gould (1804-1881) was a British ornithologist, artist and successful businessman. Sometimes referred to as the “English Audubon,” Gould had an illustrious career in which he served as official taxidermist to King George IV and established himself as Queen Victoria’s favorite illustrator of birds.
A Monograph of the Trochilidae represents Gould’s effort to create a comprehensive guide to all the varieties of hummingbird with a high degree of accuracy, detail and beauty. Gould’s five volumes on the hummingbird contain 360 hand-colored lithographic illustrations.
Gould would draw rough pencil or watercolor sketches of hummingbird specimens, which served as guides for a team of artists, including his wife, Elizabeth. Gould also worked with lithographers, who applied gold and silver leaf underneath the watercolor to achieve a lifelike illustration of the hummingbird’s iridescent feathers.