John and Elizabeth Gould Archives

John James Audubon, Blue Crane or Heron, Collection of the Guild of St George, Museums Sheffield

“Ɖ Iḷstretd Êvı̣ri z joys flît, têcñ in mezṃrîzñli sutl, bold n bytifl ptreylz v brdz bî ātists hu hd sạntific clât in ɖ 17^ʈ n 18^ʈ senčriz. Perd wɖ ɖ nyli intṛdyst Lineyn sistm v taxoṇmi (fr nemñ n grūpñ spīšīz) n ny printprôsesz, ɖz ātists wr ebl t dlivr jst ẇt ɖ public lustd aftr: krı̣s, mjstc n fîn-qoḷty iḷstrešnz v načṛl spīšīz ɖ wrld ovr.

Jrniyñ ɖ glôb t sceč brdz fṛm lîf, n gaɖrñ p spesimnz t scin n pac tîtli intu cabiṇts fr lêtr studiz, ɖ ātists wr ebl t wâ n edycet ɖ public. Ɖ Iḷstretd Êvı̣ri z a majcl af̣mešn v ẇt cn b ačīvd ʈru ɖ îz n handz v ātists, btrñ âr undrstandñ v ɖ ivolvñ wrld n v âr čenjñ rlešnšp t it.

Ełn-lîc or uncomn brdz wr ʈrust intu ɖ lîmlît jrñ ɖz glwri yirz fr ōniʈoḷji. Têc ɖ prīhistoric flevr v ɖ crimzn-hwnd feznt, ɖ šoc v vivid blu on ɖ rênbo piṭbrd, n imajin ɖ prīvı̣sli ignṛnt public’s riaẋn.Ʈri senčriz ahd, y mt asym âr fasinešnz t hv dṛmatcli ivolvd, yt Ɖ Iḷstretd Êvı̣ri z flutrñ, fntastcl pruf t ɖ contrri.

Mīt ɖ A-listrz v ōniʈlojcl iḷstrešn, includñ ɖ hevīweit Jon Jêmz Ōḍbon, femd fr hiz ambišn t dokment ol v America’z brdz, alñ wɖ ɖ čāmñ ātist n powt Edwd Lir, n ɖ ntwrı̣s Jon Gūld, hu asistd Dāwin in hiz Oṛjin v ɖ Spīšīz n, wɖ hiz wîf Iliẓbʈ publišt ɖ magnifisnt Brdz v Yṛp n Brdz v Ostreła. Ɖer iḷstrešnz bloñ t ɖ Êtn Clẋn in Šefīld, a tôtl v 7000 wrcs rerli sīn ãmas.

Ɖ šo čampı̣nz ɖ cês fr conṣvešn, az ɖ fṛjiḷti v ɖz spīšīz z mr akt ɖn evr. W’v lost ɖ Ostrełn tacāhe, ɖ grt ōc n, vri nirli, ɖ red cît. Senčriz v obsṭclz hv fêst ɖz brdz, fṛm a fašn fr plūmij on lêdiz’ hats t dīforistešn. Ɖ Iḷstretd Êvı̣ri’z ātists wr cnsrnd wɖ inspîrñ conṣvešn bt, îronicli, ɖe rlîd upn mni ʈâzndz v brdz biyñ cōt n scind in ōdr t iḷstret ɖm. Fînd ɖ stif, sori soul v a sitron-ʈrôtd tūcn lêd in a cabiṇt bsd Jon Gūld’z plump n mjstc picčr t gên a sens v ɖ ātist’s prôses, stêjñ a riinjẋn v lîf on pêpr.

Dubl-elephant (i.e. vri lj) pêjz v Ōḍbon’z unfgtbl Brdz v America – ɖ most xpnsv bc v ol tîm – fil ɖ bac wōl v ɖ gaḷri. Hiz friġtpelicn, blu crên, or heṛn, n trumpitrswon r î-wōtrñli dṛmatc mastrpìsz. A ls obvı̣s hāt-stìlr z ɖ ltl āctc spešlist, snôbuntñ, in Ōḍbon’z jentl, gre-tônd tribyt. H fremz ɖ delic̣si v ɖ brd in a baṛn, strenjli suɖñ landscep: a nīt n luvli ôd t a ptit, hādi crīčr. Edwd Lir’z šo-stopñ mcw z az intns n vivešs az ɖ brd in qesčn, ẇl ɖ glwrı̣sli sinicl îz v hiz īġlâl ivoc ɖ sens v a fwmidbl obzrvr evr redi t strîc.

Ɖ Iḷstretd Êvı̣ri z, qt simpli, wundrfl. F onli ɖ spês wr lj inuf t acoṃdet evri last rêdı̣nt plūmij n tnêšs taḷn v ɖ c̣lẋn.”