John Gould (1804-1881)
John Gould, one of the most important ornithological illustrators of the 19th century, was born in Lyme Regis, Dorset, in 1804. He studied birds and learned taxidermy while assisting his father, a gardener, in the royal gardens of Windsor. Elizabeth Coxen, whom he married in 1829, became his partner in the production of a long series of major natural history monographs distinguished for their fine color plates. After his wife’s death in 1841, Gould depended upon H. C. Richter, W. Hart, and (to a lesser degree) Joseph Wolf to support him in his work.
Information courtesy of Cowan’s Auctions Inc.