About the exhibition - John Gould Inc.

Toco Toucan (Rhamphastos toco). A Monograph of Ramphastidae, or Family of Toucans 2nd ed. 1852-54. Australian Museum Research Library
Starts: Friday 9 April 2004
Ends: Sunday 18 July 2004
John Gould Inc. celebrates the 200th anniversary of the birth of Gould (1804-1881) and explores scientific, artistic and commercial activities of the the legendary "bird man". The exhibition also reveals the role of specimen collectors and artists employed by Gould to produce the almost 3,000 hand-coloured plates published in more than 40 folio volumes.
With the obsession of a collector, an eye for artistic talent, and a generous infusion of entrepreneurial spirit, John Gould succeeded in creating one of the most recognisable and long-lasting brand names in natural history.
John Gould Inc. recaptures Gould's passion for discovering and classifying the birds of the world and includes his classification of Charles Darwin's Galapagos finches, and the influence this had on Darwin's seminal thoughts on the theory of evolution.
Highlights of the exhibition include:
- John Gould hand-coloured folios from the Australian Museum Research Library's Gould collection - including the first book produced by John and Elizabeth Gould.
- original watercolours by John Gould, his talented artist wife Elizabeth and the artist H.C. Richter, who was also part of Gould's operation.
- original specimens sent by Gould to Australia in the 1850s accompanied by images of the illustrated species.
- a recreation of Gould's workroom in his London home.
- a visual representation of the lithographic process displaying the actual splendid grass-parakeet specimens illustrated by Gould, Gould's original watercolour of the birds, the image transferred on to a lithographic stone, a printed proof of the image and the final hand-coloured lithographic plate.
- Elizabeth Gould's Australian diary and a letter to her mother.
- The journal of John Gilbert, Gould's main Australian collector, who was speared to death while travelling with Ludwig Leichhardt on the Port Essington expedition. The journal, which Leichhardt sent to Gould along with Gilbert's personal effects, will be displayed open on Gilbert's final entry written on the day of his death (28 June 1845).
- A Spectacled Hare-wallaby specimen, which was collected on the Leichhardt expedition and sent to Gould for illustration in The Mammals of Australia.
- Examples of John Gould letters.
- specimens sent by Gould to the Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia in the 1840s
John Gould Inc. will be on show at Australian Museum (Level 2) from Friday, 9 April 2004 to Sunday, 18 July 2004.
General admission
Adult $8
Child $3
Family $19
Concession $4
(Free entry to John Gould Inc. after general admission)
John Gould Inc. was developed by the Australian Museum and draws largely on the expansive Gould collection held in its Research Library. The exhibition was developed with assistance from the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia, the National Library of Australia, the State Library of NSW, Museum Victoria, the Gould League, the Macleay Museum (University of Sydney), the College of Fine Arts at the University of NSW and the Sydney Gallery School at Meadowbank TAFE.
