Item LIB 61616 Rare book - John Gould, 'The Birds of Europe' Vol 1, 1832-1837.

Summary

'The Birds of Europe' is the second major publication by English ornithologist John Gould (1804-1881) and his wife Elizabeth (1804-1841). After the success of their first publication, 'A Century of Birds from the Himalaya Mountains' (1831), Elizabeth continued to create illustrations for John's works using the relatively new technique of lithography.

While preparing 'The Birds of Europe', Gould drew on specimens from his own and other collections. John visited many European museums to expand his knowledge of birds new to science, wanting to bring unknown specimens back to Britain. Artist and nonsense poet Edward Lear (1812-1888) accompanied Gould to create drawings from birds in zoos and museums in Holland, Germany and Switzerland.

Elizabeth also travelled to Europe with John to observe birds in the wild. This direct observation allowed her to depict male and female birds interacting with each other. Lear assisted Elizabeth with her lithographic work, encouraging her to develop her style, leading to more lifelike images that evoked greater movement.

Most of the illustrations are by Elizabeth, with Edward Lear completing 67 of a total 448 plates. The lithographs were printed by London firm Hullmandel. The work was originally issued in parts between 1832 and 1837. The plates were painstakingly hand coloured under the direction of Gabriel Bayfield and the letterpress was printed by R. Taylor.

'The Birds of Europe' was completed within five years, during which time Elizabeth gave birth to five children. Only three would survive past infancy. As with earlier works, Elizabeth is acknowledged in the preface, with John stating that the plates 'have been drawn and lithographed by Mrs. Gould, from sketches and designs by myself always taken from nature'. She is also credited on the plates, stating 'Drawn from Life & on Stone by J. & E. Gould'. These acknowledgements mark a departure from 'A Century of Birds from the Himalaya Mountains', where Elizabeth was credited as the sole lithographer. In comparison, the plates by Lear are credited 'Drawn on Stone by E. Lear'. Today, we would be more inclined to view John's contribution to the illustrations as an editor or art director, rather than as the primary illustrator. In recent years there has been a resurging interest in Elizabeth's work, and greater emphasis and acknowledgement of her contributions to John Gould's work.

Volume 1 contains the Introduction and Raptors, or birds of prey.

Physical Description

Hard-cover volume with green and gold morocco binding measuring 57cm high. Comprises 448 hand-coloured lithographic plates across 5 volumes. Remainder of pages contain letterpress, including the title page and list of illustrations.

Significance

Elizabeth's lithographic work is a spectacular example of women's contributions to science in the 19th century. 'The Birds of Europe' was the second publication that John and Elizabeth collaborated on, and shows Elizabeth realising her own artistic style. This can be seen in the life-like imagery that has more fluidity than her earlier work. Elizabeth began to depict interactions between birds, incorporating a feeling of movement into the illustrations.

This volume belongs to a pristine set of John Gould's publications that was purchased for Museums Victoria from a private collector in the 1970s, with the support of government funds.