Details - Studies from nature in various branches of natural history

Studies from nature in various branches of natural history

Title

Studies from nature in various branches of natural history

By

Cumberland, George, 1754-1848 , illustrator, compiler

Type

Book

Material

Archival material

Publication info

[Bristol], George Cumberland, [not after 1848]

Notes

Scrapbook.

Title devised by cataloguer based on inscription.

Collection of 310 illustrations of all sorts of flora and fauna attributed to George Cumberland, a 19th century illustrator from the Bristol School. Volume contains illustrations pasted into volume, with notes on the provenance and date of most of the illustrations in Cumberland's hand throughout. The illustrations are made using a number of different techniques, from pencil sketches, to inks and also many watercolours. Some illustrations appear to be prints, possibly from other sources (undetermined).

Inscription reads: This volume of 310 studies from nature in various branches of natural history, the amusement of many pleasant hours of his father George Cumberland he presents to his son Sydney, as a proof of his esteem and as an example of vacant hours not misspent. June 28, 1846.

The illustrations depict a wide array of different plants and animals, ranging from flowers, birds, reptiles, fish, mammals, even fossils. Some illustrations take on a more anatomical approach and offer cross-sections and textual descriptions of the image. Other illustrations appear to be done while visiting certain museums throughout Britain, many of these are annotated in Cumberland's hand. The illustrations do not appear to be in any sort of order, and many leaves have been left blank throughout the volume. Many of the illustrations are dated by Cumberland, ranging from 1798-1830.

Images have been numbered and often annotated by Henry Mousely. Mousely used Cumberland's illustrations of the woodcock in a publication. Mousley has annotations throughout, which are in pencil and initialed H.M.. Illustrations numbered 293-310 were rehoused by Mousely into a seprate envelope as they had come loose from their leaves.

Many of these illustrations can be found in published sources, including Mousely's piece on the Woodcock, "A Historical review of the habits and anatomy of the woodcock," found in Vol XLIX, no. 1 of The Canadian Field-Naturalist (January 1935).

Wood, C.A. Introduction to the literature of vertebrate zoology, | p. 306.