Exploring Early Methods of Specimen Collection in Natural History Art

Before the advent of color photography and the prevalence of images via the internet, wildlife was typically viewed in the following ways: alive in nature, as stuffed specimens in private or museum collections, as inhabitants of zoos and menageries, or as rendered by artists. Viewing birds and animals in the wild had its drawbacks as it was often extremely labor-intensive, costly, and dangerous requiring the artist to venture to the native locale of the desired species. However, this method of specimen collection had the immeasurable benefit of allowing the artist to understand how the particular bird or animal interacted with its environment.

Another method of viewing live and often exotic species was through zoos or menageries where the imported species were housed for visual entertainment, zoological study, or as attestations of the owner’s wealth and erudition. However, as captive creatures extracted from their native environments, the animals were observed out of their original context and complex ecology. Thus this method of viewing offered a limited understanding of the bird or animal. 

Audubon’s meticulously kept journals provide insight into his working process and relay the harrowing tales of his wilderness exploration. During one memorable escapade, Audubon found himself stuck in quicksand while pursuing a great horned owl. He recalls:

“I once nearly lost my life by going towards [a great horned owl] that I had shot on a willow-bar, for, while running up to the spot, I suddenly found myself sunk in quicksand up to my arm-pits, and in this condition must have remained to perish, had not my boatmen come up and extricated me, by forming a bridge of their oars and some driftwood, during which operation I had to remain perfectly quiet, as any struggle would soon have caused me to sink overhead.”

Audubon’s journals paint an image of the artist as a lone explorer immersed in nature and motivated by an unquenchable desire to discover and create. By viewing the birds in nature and taking specimens as primary reference materials for his art, Audubon was able to depict the species with incredible detail, accurate positioning, and immersed in its native environment. 

The Institutionally Sponsored Expedition

In contrast to Audubon’s self-funded explorations, Daniel Giraud Elliot and Louis Agassiz Fuertes often participated in institutionally sponsored zoological expeditions to inspire their art. 

While serving as curator of the Field Museum in Chicago, Elliot led The Field Columbian Museum East Africa Expedition to Somalia in 1896. Accompanied by the museum’s Chief Taxidermist Carl Ethan Akeley and former British Museum taxidermist Edward Dodson, Elliot and his companions studied and collected thousands of specimens. Their primary mission was to source African bird and mammal specimens for the natural history museum’s collection. In addition to fulfilling his duty as a zoological curator, Elliot found abundant inspiration for his art on such expeditions.

In a similar vein, Edward Lear created his Illustrations of the Family of Psittacidae, or Parrots based on sketches of the parrots in the Zoological Gardens at Regents Park. At 18 years old, Lear did not have the finances to travel to the tropics and observe parrots in the wild. Rather, he made use of his access to the Zoological Gardens where he routinely sketched its occupants. Several years later, Lear was invited to stay at Knowsley Hall where he had access to the extensive private menagerie of Lord Stanley, the 13th Earl of Derby. Lear spent several very productive years at Knowsley Hall where he produced Gleanings from the Menagerie and Aviary at Knowsley Hall and many other illustrations for various natural history publications. 

Lear’s approach to natural history was an effective way of preserving the life of the subject but often disallowed him from viewing the animal in its native habitat. Extradited from their context, the birds are shown against a scant background.  Despite the lack of context, this method of natural history illustration mitigated the cost and danger of field expeditions and spared the life of the bird.