PublishedAxiom Books, April 2011 |
ISBN9781864766462 |
FormatHardcover, 288 pages |
Dimensions25.4cm × 25.4cm |
In the 18th and 19th centuries, the European world learned of amazing varieties of nature existing in Australasia; an apparent, infinite array of plants, birds, reptiles, mammals and insects. Scientific clubs and organisations grew, each publishing fulsome records, but illustrations were significantly limited.
The recently developed art and craft of lithography made large, coloured illustrations possible; a printing advancement not equalled until colour film was introduced. As a young man, Gould gained many skills, first as a gardener, then as taxidermist to George IV and William IV, and finally as curator in the museum of the London Zoological Society where he became a leading ornithologist, as well as a bird artist and lithographic publisher. With the most fascinating insights into this period of history and all those characters Gould came in contact with - Sir Joseph Banks, Charles Darwin, Baudin, Charles Sturt, John Eyre, Governors and Governors-General - and a very comprehensive bibliography and index - here is a book that is not only visually pleasing but full of enthralling glimpses into a remarkable man's life in an exceptional era.
