JOHN GOULD (1804 - 1881)

John Gould was an distinquished British naturalist. His large lavishly illustrated volumes on birds have been called gems of mid-19th century ornithology. He learned taxidermy at Windsor Castle where his father was foreman of gardners. In 1827 he became taxidermist to the Zoological Society of London.

The arrival of a collection of bird skins from the Himalayas in 1830 enabled him to produce many folio albums. His wife used her talents as a lithographer to enhance many of his works. The success of his five volume Birds of Europe along with other works allowed him and his wife to spend two years (1838-40) in Australia where they made a large collection of birds and mammals. His most famous work resulted from this trip and in 1843 he was elected to the Royal Society. Gould's lifetime work comprised of more than forty volumes and 3,000 colored plates.

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Thomas Blakiston in Japan

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