GREAT CRESTED GREBE

Distribution: Australia wide. On open sheets of open water, mostly in the east but also southwestern Australia. First described by Gould Handbook to the Birds of Australia. 1844. Danish born artist who after studying entered the military as a draughtsman.On leaving Denmark he obtained work at the British History Museum in London.This image is from the last great bird series, The Birds of Australia by G.Matthew&#8217s and is rarer than John Gould&#8217s work on Australian birds, with only 225 sets done. It was the last series produced to use hand colouring rather than colour printed lithography for the illustrations. Original lithograph. Rare.