Skip to main content

Do you love to catch a flash of bright colour when you hear a parrot above? Or perhaps you like to spy a little grey bird as it hops among the dry, brown leaves.

It’s not easy to take a good photo of a quick and curious bird. Imagine producing beautiful, world-class pictures of hundreds of birds before the invention of cameras, films, and the internet. But that’s exactly what John Gould did when he produced The Birds of Australia.

We recently bought seven original, uncoloured prints of birds created during the production of The Birds of Australia, published by John Gould from 1840 to 1848. The purchase was made from Sotherans Booksellers in London, thanks to an eagle-eyed researcher who discovered that uncoloured versions of the bird plates were available to buy.

The Birds of Australia contains hand-painted illustrations of a large variety of birds from across the continent and was published in seven volumes plus one supplement. The full page illustrations, printed separately from the text, are referred to as plates. The book is one of the most important ornithological publications in the world. The detailed illustrations are considered significant because the specimens were collected before the impact of colonisation on habitat.

When considering the purchase of the plates it was agreed that a selection of the uncoloured illustrations would be of benefit in showing just part of the process in creating the final works.

See the difference here where the application of colour brings the beautiful Frogmouth to life.

Tawny Frogmouth, Podargus humeralis, illustrated by J and E Gould, 1814. SLSA: rbri11743785/002/pl 003
Uncoloured plate - Tawny Frogmouth, Podargus humeralis, illustrated by J and E Gould, 1814. SLSA: rbri11743785/002/pl 003

Tawny Frogmouth, Podargus Humeralis, illustrated by J and E Gould, 1848, Vol. 2, plate 3. SLSA: 598.2994 d and Uncoloured: SLSA: 598.0994 G696 d++

Sotheran’s Booksellers, who have a long association with Gould’s works, sent the Library a list of the uncoloured Australian bird plates they held. During the Covid lockdowns, we selected seven birds from the list, all of which can be found in South Australia, and perhaps even in your backyard.

You’d be very lucky if you saw penguins.

Little Penguins, illustrated by J E Gould, 1848. SLSA: rbri11743785/007/pl 85
Uncoloured plate - Little Penguins, illustrated by J E Gould, 1848. SLSA: rbri11743785/007/pl 85

Little Penguins, Spheniscus Undina, illustrated by J Gould and H C Richter, 1848, vol. 7, plate 85. SLSA: 598.2994 d and Uncoloured: SLSA: 598.0994 d++

From nature, to stone, to paper.

The creative process involved sketching the birds, either from specimens or from drawings in the field, and then using the sketches for detailed illustrations. The process of lithography was used to print multiple copies of the illustrations onto paper.

Lithography is a technique where an image is applied to a smooth and flat surface. In this case special lithographic limestone was used with the drawings of the birds transferred to the stone.

Elizabeth Gould, an integral part of her husband John’s team, was a talented artist and lithographer.

Hooded Plover, illustrated by Elizabeth Gould, 1848. SLSA: rbri11743785/006/pl 18
Uncoloured plate - Hooded Plover, illustrated by Elizabeth Gould, 1848. SLSA: rbri22750848/1v

Hooded Plover, Hiaticula Monacha, illustrated by Elizabeth Gould, 1848, vol. 6, plate 18. SLSA: 598.2994 d and Uncoloured: SLSA: 598.0994 d++

The black and white lithographed prints were hand-painted by the colourists who referred to colour pattern plates as they worked. Many spares of the uncoloured black and white prints were kept, ending up at Sotheran’s Booksellers.

"At the time of Gould's death, his stock of unsold copies, unbound text and plates in various states, lithographic stones, drawings and paintings, amounted to nearly thirty tons.

The entire lot, along with Gould's copyright, was purchased by the London bookseller Henry Sotheran Ltd. It was put in storage for over 50 years until 1936, when ornithological book collector Ralph Ellis went to London and purchased a large part of the John Gould archives.

This collection was left to the University of Kansas upon Ellis's death, where it remains to this day."

John Gould: Books and Illustrations, Australian Museum

The purchase of the seven uncoloured plates was generously funded by the Friends of the State Library of South Australia.

Psephotus haematonotus, illustrated by John Gould, 1848. SLSA: rbri11743785/005/pl 36
Psephotus haematonotus, illustrated by John Gould, 1848. SLSA: rbri22750897/1v

Red-rumped Parrot, Psephotus Haematonotus, illustrated by J Gould and H C Richter, 1848, vol. 5, plate 36. SLSA: 598.2994 d and Uncoloured: SLSA: 598.0994 d++

More to explore

If you'd like more to explore we have provided the following links to resources within the State Library of SA's catalogue and other libraries.

Image in banner: Fuscous Honeyeater. Ptilotis fuscus J. and E. Gould del. et lith. Plate number 44, volume IV, The birds of Australia, 1848. SLSA: 598.2994 d

Shop for Gould's Birds of Australia

Explore unique gifts featuring Australian bird illustrations from our collection.

State Library SA's Online Gift Shop, Redbubble.

 

 

Written by Sara Stodart, Published Collections Librarian