BIRDS

Antique bird prints are among the most enduring and commercially sought areas of natural history collecting, prized equally for their scientific significance and decorative beauty. The finest examples combine meticulous ornithological observation with exceptional printmaking skill, producing works that remain desirable to collectors, institutions and interior designers alike.

The foundation of the antique bird print market was laid by a small number of landmark publications. John Gould’s folio works — including The Birds of Australia (1840–48) and The Birds of Great Britain (1862–73) — set the standard for large-format ornithological illustration, combining hand-coloured lithographs of exceptional quality with systematic scientific documentation. Gould employed some of the finest natural history artists of the Victorian era, including Edward Lear and Henry Constantine Richter, whose draughtsmanship gives Gould plates their characteristic vivacity. Original Gould prints remain among the most actively traded antique bird prints in the market today.

For Australian birds specifically, Silvester Diggles’ The Ornithology of Australia (1866–70) and Gregory Mathews’ The Birds of Australia (1910–27) are essential references. Both works produced original lithographs of Australian species that had received little prior documentation, making them of particular historical importance. Neville Cayley’s illustrations and the hand-coloured plates of John William Lewin — whose Birds of New Holland (1808) was the first natural history book both written and illustrated in Australia — also represent significant collecting areas within Australian ornithology.

Beyond Australia, the European tradition of ornithological illustration produced some of the most visually spectacular prints in the natural history canon. John James Audubon’s The Birds of America (1827–38), with its life-size depictions engraved by Robert Havell Jr., remains one of the most celebrated natural history publications ever produced. Eleazar Albin’s A Natural History of Birds (1731–38), George Edwards’ A Natural History of Uncommon Birds (1743–51), and the plates from Buffon’s Histoire Naturelle des Oiseaux represent earlier but equally important milestones in European bird illustration.

New Zealand ornithology is represented most significantly by Walter Buller’s A History of the Birds of New Zealand, illustrated by Johannes Keulemans, whose detailed chromolithographs document species — some now extinct — with remarkable precision. Birds of New Guinea and the broader Pacific attracted the attention of naturalists travelling with expeditions, producing prints that blend scientific record with the visual drama of encountering entirely new species.

When assessing antique bird prints, condition is paramount. Hand-colouring should be vivid and even, with no fading or offsetting. Foxing — the brown spotting caused by mould or iron impurities in the paper — significantly affects value and should be noted carefully. Original margins and plate marks indicate an unrestored example. Our condition reports describe all relevant issues honestly, and our conservation expertise means we can advise on restoration options where appropriate.

All bird prints in this collection are guaranteed original antiques. We do not sell reproductions. Each work is available for purchase online with free shipping within Australia and worldwide shipping on orders over $A300.