If you don’t live in a part of the world with a lot of humÂmingÂbirds, it’s easy to regard them as not quite of this earth. With their wide array of shimÂmerÂing colÂors and freÂnetÂic yet eeriÂly staÂble manÂner of flight, they can seem like quaÂsi-fanÂtasÂtiÂcal creaÂtures even to those who encounter them in realÂiÂty. They cerÂtainÂly capÂtured the imagÂiÂnaÂtion of EngÂlish ornitholÂoÂgist John Gould, who between the years of 1849 and 1887 creÂatÂed A MonoÂgraph of the Trochilidæ, or FamÂiÂly of HumÂming-Birds, a catÂaÂlog of all known species of humÂmingÂbird at the time. As you might expect, this is just the kind of old book you can peruse at the InterÂnet Archive, but now there’s also an online restoraÂtion that returns Gould’s illusÂtraÂtions to their origÂiÂnal gloÂry.
A MonoÂgraph of the Trochilidæ “is conÂsidÂered one of the finest examÂples of ornithoÂlogÂiÂcal illusÂtraÂtion ever proÂduced, as well as a sciÂenÂtifÂic masÂterÂpiece,” writes the site’s creÂator, Nicholas Rougeux (preÂviÂousÂly feaÂtured here on Open CulÂture for his digÂiÂtal restoraÂtions of British & ExotÂic MinÂerÂalÂoÂgy and EuclidÂ’s EleÂments).
“Gould’s pasÂsion for humÂmingÂbirds led him to travÂel to varÂiÂous parts of the world, such as North AmerÂiÂca, Brazil, ColomÂbia, Ecuador, and Peru, to observe and colÂlect specÂiÂmens. He also received many specÂiÂmens from othÂer natÂuÂralÂists and colÂlecÂtors.” TakÂen togethÂer, the work’s five volÂumes — one of them pubÂlished as a supÂpleÂment years after his death — catÂaÂlog 537 species, docÂuÂmentÂing their appearÂance with 418 hand-colÂored lithÂoÂgraphÂic plates.
All these images were “anaÂlyzed and restored to their origÂiÂnal vibrant colÂors in a process that took nearÂly 150 hours to comÂplete. As much of the origÂiÂnal plate was preÂserved — includÂing the delÂiÂcate colÂors of the scenic backÂgrounds in each vignette.” You can view and downÂload them at the site’s illusÂtraÂtions page, where they come accomÂpaÂnied by Gould’s own text and clasÂsiÂfied accordÂing to the same scheme he origÂiÂnalÂly used. You may not know your PhaĂ«thorÂnis from your SphenoÂprocÂtus, to say nothÂing of your Cyanomyia from your SmaragÂdochryÂsis, but after seeÂing these small wonÂders of the natÂurÂal world as Gould did (all arranged into a chroÂmatÂic specÂtrum by Rougeux to make a strikÂing poster), you may well find yourÂself inspired to learn the difÂferÂences — or at least to put a feedÂer outÂside your winÂdow.
via KotÂtke
RelatÂed conÂtent:
What Kind of Bird Is That?: A Free App From CorÂnell Will Give You the Answer
Based in Seoul, ColÂin Marshall writes and broadÂcasts on cities, lanÂguage, and culÂture. His projects include the SubÂstack newsletÂter Books on Cities, the book The StateÂless City: a Walk through 21st-CenÂtuÂry Los AngeÂles and the video series The City in CinÂeÂma. FolÂlow him on TwitÂter at @colinmarshall or on FaceÂbook.