The Family of Hummingbirds: The Complete Prints of John Gould

(Hardback)

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Every hummingbird carries with it a story, a story of the unbelievable endurance through transcontinental migration and survival against all odds. This magnificent volume reunites the family of hummingbirds all 418 species that were known to exist when John Gould set out to capture them on paper in 1849. His twelve-year quest, in which he enlisted the help of many fellow artists including Edward Lear, resulted in this master work of natural history. As his predecessor John James Audubon did, Gould took what was then a revolutionary approach--depicting the birds as they are in life, in their native habitats. The Family of Hummingbirds represents a monumental achievement of both art and science, and this volume holds a trove of delights for art lovers and nature lovers alike.

Reviews

"A sublime collection of 418 suberbly detailed hand-colored lithographs created by John Gould from the mid-1800s...If you're a fan of natural history art, hummingbirds, or birds in general - this unrivaled master collection of antique prints is definitely a piece you'd want to add to your collection." Color Outside the Lines

"John Gould, a 19th-century Englis hornithologist and bird artist, had a particular interest in hummingbirds. Who can blame him This stunning volume features his superbly detailed hand-colored lithographs of hundreds of species. Plus, authors Joel Oppenheimer and Laura Oppenheimer tell hte sory of Gould's colorful life and place his work in the context of a period when the exploration of science and the world's natural wonders was at an all-time high." BirdWatching

Author Bio

Joel Oppenheimer is the owner of his eponymous firm that serves as both a gallery and an art restoration workshop, with one location in Chicago's famed Wrigley building and another in Charleston on historic King Street. Founded in 1969, Oppenheimer Gallery specialises in natural history art. Oppenheimer Gallery is one of the preeminent dealers of Audubon watercolors and facsimile prints and works in partnerships with museums across the country including the New-York Historical Society. Oppenheimer is the author of The Birds of America: The Bien Chromolithographic Edition.

Robert Peck, curator of art and artifacts and senior fellow of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, Philadelphia, is a writer, naturalist, and historian who has traveled extensively in North and South America, Africa, Asia, and Europe. Peck is the author of many books including Land of the Eagle: A Natural History of North America (1990); Headhunters and Hummingbirds: An Expedition into Ecuador (1987); and A Celebration of Birds: The Life and Art of Louis Agassiz Fuertes (1982).