Daniel Giraud Elliot

The artwork of the renowned 19th-century zoologist Daniel Giraud Elliot includes a monograph on the Family of Pheasants, Birds of Paradise, and Family of Cats. These lusciously colored lithographs present the animals and birds enmeshed in their natural environments. As a result of his independent wealth, Elliot spared no expense in the creation of his folios and used costly materials such as gold leaf to capture the glistening iridescence of the birds. Consequently, the costly productions were primarily obtained by only the most affluent individual and institutional clientele. In addition to his artistic works, Elliot cultivated a prolific literary career and was instrumental in developing ornithological societies and natural history institutions in America.