The Mysterious Birds Of The Filson

Amongst the most amazing discoveries made during the recent evaluation of The Filson permanent collection is this group of original ornithological works presented by R. C. B. Thruston in 1931.  Never cataloged and previously un-framed, they are reminiscent of the work of noted artist Mark Catesby (1682-1749).  Catesby was an English artist who traveled extensively in the American southeast between 1712 and 1726, making sketches for a volume eventually published in 1747.  A Natural History of Carolina, Florida and the Bahamas precedes the work of John James Audubon by at least one hundred years and is considered to be the first detailed study of American flora and fauna. 

While there are rare editions of this volume to be found, and extant prints do exist, the discovery of original works of this type would indeed be unusual.  Most of the original works are in the collection of H.M. Queen Elizabeth II and stored at Windsor Castle.  On a local note, Catesby is of further interest as collateral descendents of the family are spread throughout central Kentucky, and there are holdings of his prints in that area.

Of the works here, the owl and the manop bird on cutchanara tree are truly remarkable for their attention to detail and vivid color.  The coloration is achieved by the rare process of creating body color… watercolor and gum Arabic of a very dense consistency.  Further research on these objects may yield a unique heritage garnered by Thruston’s acute eye deployed on one of his many trips to the British Isles.