Known in Spencer Library as the “Gould Drawings” collection, this graphic arts archive consists of preliminary pieces of manuscript artwork and separate lithographic prints prepared by John Gould and his workshop of artists for the large-format illustrated books about birds that he published. Working on his books in London, England, from 1830 until his death in 1881, Gould, his artist wife Elizabeth and, after her death in 1841, a succession of professional artists created these rough sketches, finished drawings and watercolor paintings, transfer tracings, lithographic stones, uncolored and colored lithographic prints (some of the latter used as colored pattern plates that served as models for the hand colorers). After Gould’s death, his friend, Richard Bowdler Sharpe, saw some unfinished volumes through to publication.

Complementing Spencer Library’s holdings of the separately cataloged bird books published by John Gould, this collection of drawings exemplifies the process of producing his books from start to finish. The most complete set of images held, from rough sketches to published print, is for the Pitta concinna. However, several stages of the production process are represented for many other birds. While the majority of subjects depicted are birds, a smaller number of items represent mammals of Australia, plants, and other subjects.

The illustrative plates (drawn with lithographic crayon, printed in black from the lithographic stones, and hand colored) for John Gould’s books were completed and issued in parts (installments) to subscribers over a number of years. Last to be issued was the accompanying descriptive text (printed by letterpress). John Gould drafted the written descriptions, which were then edited by his secretary. Once all the parts had been received, the subscriber would have a local bookbinder bind the plates, each accompanied by one or two pages of text about that bird, into one or more volumes. A numbered list of plates near the beginning of each book indicates the binding order, but the plates themselves are not numbered. Bird names were in rapid early development in Gould’s day, and even the name for the same bird, as printed on the illustration plate and in the list of names at the beginning of the volume (which may have been created several years apart), may differ. Bird nomenclature has evolved still further since Gould’s day, so the modern name familiar to 21st century researchers may also differ.

The most common mediums found in the collection are pencil and watercolor, but touches of chalk and charcoal are sometimes present, as are several trials of gold paint or gold leaf (for iridescent hummingbirds). The usual support is paper, sometimes the reverse side of printer’s waste. Pencil tracings on tissue paper were also used to transfer non-printing guide outlines onto the lithographic stone. The lithographic prints include both unlabeled proof prints and final prints labeled at the bottom with the name of the depicted bird flanked by the names of the artists (left side) and printers (right side). The scientific name of the bird (and, more rarely, the common name) appear on the labeled print. More details about nomenclature and other items are given in the descriptive text accompanying each illustration plate. Both unlabeled and labeled prints were used for the pattern plates, which were colored by the original artist and approved by Gould for use as models by the colorists when hand-coloring the finished prints. Pencil notes often identify them as pattern plates, as do the trial dabs of color around the edges of the print and the grime from much handling.

Although Gould was capable of creating finished artwork, he seldom did so. His usual practice was to draw a rough pencil sketch that he handed over to an artist, who worked it up into a finished watercolor drawing. Gould, who was a stickler for correct proportions and coloring, then critiqued the drawing and marked corrections in pencil. Either the same artist or a different artist would then trace the drawing’s outlines with pencil onto tissue paper. The tissue paper was then placed face down on the lithographic stone and rubbed to create a non-printing transfer of the outlines. The artist would copy the model approved by Gould, drawing with waxy lithographic crayon on the grained (slightly textured) stone printing surface. After a trial lithographic print was made, the image was checked and approved before adding the bird’s name at the bottom of the plate, along with credits naming the artists involved in creating the image and the lithographic printer.

Thus, several artists’ names usually appear on each published print. In addition, previous research by scholars and by Spencer Library staff has sometimes used written or stylistic evidence to associate unnamed artists with some of the Gould drawings. Although John Gould oversaw the artists and corrected their drawings, he rarely drew more than initial sketches himself. His own rough pencil sketches consist of hastily scribbled lines that seem to be searching for the form of the birds. Elizabeth Gould’s early tentative drawings of mounted bird specimens developed into a more assured style. Edward Lear, a younger but more experienced bird illustrator, not only tutored Elizabeth but also provided his own signed work, showing his ability to bring birds to life in lithographic crayon drawings. Joseph Wolf, a German natural history artist who did some work for Gould in later years, could also convey a bird’s character with a few telling strokes. In contrast, Henry Constantine Richter and William Matthew Hart, who both turned out many illustrations for Gould, were methodical artists who relied more upon formulaic depictions of features such as feathers.