Exhibitions
Monograph of the Trogonidae, or Trogons, Pt. I - John Gould
London: J. Gould, 1858
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The output of ornithologist John Gould (1804-1881) comprises an impressive 41 volumes, illustrated by 2,999 plates, in addition to approximately 300 memoirs and papers in the Proceedings of the Zoological Society and other scientific journals. Gould’s best-known work is perhaps his Birds of Australia (7 volumes, 1840-48), for which he became known as the ‘Audubon of Australia’. The work on trogons shown is a revised edition, with 11 extra plates, of a monograph published in 1835-8.
Illustrations were the main focus of Gould’s work, and he devoted much care to the plates, showing creatures in their natural haunts. The handcoloured lithographs of birds are life-size. The text is bound in with the 19 plates, unlike works such as Audubon’s where text and plates are bound in separate volumes to enable lesser outlay by purchasing the text alone.
