On this page

John Gould

The books are ordered by publication date with the most recent at the top of the page.

John Gould pages

Original publications

Biographical/bibliographical

A section detailing later works that include artwork attributed to Gould will be added at a later date.

Curious Minds: The Discoveries Of Australian Naturalists

Peter Macinnis

2012

"Curious Minds: The Discoveries of Australian Naturalists looks at the long line of naturalists who have traversed Australia in search of new plants and animals. Identifying and classifying the unfamiliar plants and animals was their biggest challenge - the early ones were frequently wrong but later naturalists were able to build on and learn from previous mistakes. In time, a new breed of homegrown naturalists emerged. This succession of curious minds would help to foster pride in a developing nation, as well an interest in the preservation of natural history. Curious Minds brings to life the stories of the naturalists and settlers who made the unfamiliar familiar and who contributed to developments in natural science. Among the names are Joseph Banks, Charles Darwin, Amalie Dietrich, Ludwig Leichhardt, Ferdinand von Mueller, Ellis Rowan, John Lewin and John and Elizabeth Gould. Beautifully illustrated with images from the collection of the National Library of Australia, the publication is a loving tribute to the courageous and inquisitive men and women who led by example."

The Business of Nature: John Gould and Australia

Roslyn Russell

2011

"This book tells the story of John Gould, the gardener's son, whose driving energy and endless enthusiasm would see him achieve enduring renown as the `father of Australian ornithology'. In 1838, Gould and his wife, Elizabeth, made the greatest sacrifice for his work, leaving behind their family and home in London to travel to the far-flung colony of Van Diemen's Land, from where Gould would travel around the mainland to observe the native fauna. Gould's artists - Elizabeth foremost among them - would depict these creatures in exquisite lithographs, accompanied by Gould's commentary. With all the acumen of a shrewd Victorian entrepreneur, Gould established a thriving business that took him into the world of the British aristocracy and the scientific elite. His is a tale of enduring love and of a man's unending ability to see beauty in nature, despite the greatest of life's tragedies. The author provides a brief sketch of the life of John Gould, whose classic volumes, The Birds of Australia and The Mammals of Australia, have been admired by generations of Australians. The publication features over 130 colour plates of some of Australia's favourite birds and mammals from Gould's works held by the National Library of Australia."

John Gould: An Australian Perspective

Sean Dawes

2011

"As a young man, Gould gained many skills, first as a gardener, then as taxidermist to George 1V and William 1V, and finally as curator in the museum of the London Zoological Society where he became a leading ornithologist, as well as a bird artist and lithographic publisher. With the most fascinating insights into this period of history and all those characters Gould came in contact with - Sir Joseph Banks, Charles Darwin, Baudin, Charles Sturt, John Eyre, Governors and Governors-General - and a very comprehensive bibliography and index - here is a book that is not only visually pleasing but full of enthralling glimpses into a remarkable man's life in an exceptional era."

The Bird Man: A Biography of John Gould

Isabella Tree

2004

Originally published in 1991

"This vibrant, fascinating account of Britain's most eminent bird illustrator was first published to wonderful reviews over a decade ago. Beautifully repackaged as a classic biography of one of our most extraordinary Victorians, The Bird Man, by acclaimed writer Isabella Tree, will captivate a new audience. John Gould was a genius and a cad. His volume of work eclipsed his American counter part Audubon in accuracy and artistic value. But John Gould's work was the result of sacrifice and alienation. Through the unacknowledged loyalty and handiwork of his wife, and many other artists, in particular one young fellow called Edward Lear, Gould cemented his reputation as the first gentleman of birds. Isabella Tree's lively biography reveals a story of discovery, ambition and betrayal - touching on some of the greatest wonders of the Victorian era, from the arrival of the first giraffe in London to Gould's crucial role in Darwin's theory of natural selection."

John Gould in Australia: Letters and Drawings

Ann Datta

1997

"In 1838 John Gould, the nineteenth-century ornithologist and publisher, arrived in Australia to record its natural history. When he left nineteen months later Gould had identified nearly 200 new bird species and gathered data for a major study of Australian mammals. Gould's voluminous Australian correspondence of more than 300 items in the British Museum (Natural History), is of immense importance for the light it throws on Gould's working methods. A selection of these letters is presented here, together with a catalogue containing detailed summaries of the contents of every item. The collection contains notable examples of Gould's own drawing in pencil, watercolour, crayon and chalk. Many of these, together with rare items privately owned, are published here for the first time."

John Gould the Bird Man: Bibliography 2

Gordon C. Sauer

1996

Nearly 500 annotated bibliographic references to Gould.

John Gould the Bird Man: Associates and Subscribers

Gordon C. Sauer

1995

The Ruling Passion Of John Gould: A Biography of The British Audubon

Isabella Tree

US edition

1992

The Ruling Passion Of John Gould: A Biography of The Bird Man

Isabella Tree

1991

A biography of Gould subsequently revised and published in 2004 as The Bird Man: A Biography Of John Gould.

John Gould: Bird Man

Maureen Lambourne

Osberton Publications

1987

John Gould, the Bird Man : A Chronology and Bibliography

Gordon C. Sauer

1982

Four major sections:

• Part 1: Genealogy of John Gould and Elizabeth Coxen Gould
• Part 2: John Gould's major published works
• Part 3: Chronology of the life and works of John Gould
• Part 4: Bibliography of John Gould, his family and associates

The Great Bird Illustrators And Their Art, 1730-1930

Peyton Skipwith

1979

Discusses the work of 15 artists including John Gould, John James Audubon, Mark Catesby, Edward Lear, Josef Wolf, John Guille Millais, Archibald Thorburn. 176 pages with 75 full page colour illustrations.

Bird Illustrators: Some Artists in Early Lithography

C.E. Jackson

1975

Includes chapters on: illustrators: William Swainson, Edward Lear, John Gould, Henry Leonard Meyer, Josef Wolf, Joseph Smit, John Gerrard Keulemans, Edward Neale, William Foster, Claude Wilmott Wyatt, Frederick William Frohawk, Henrik Grönvold, Archibald Thorburn, and George Edward Lodge.

John Gould's Contribution To British Art

Allan McEvey

The Australian Academy of the Hunanities

Sydney University Press

1973

The Dates Of Publication Of Some Of The Zoological Works Of The Late John Gould, F.R.S.

Frederick Herschel Waterhouse

1885

Preface:

"As the whole of Mr. Gould's folio series of Zoological Works bear the dates when they were completed, without any reference to the dates and contents of the parts in which the several species were figured (with the exception of the 'Birds of Asia' which was completed by Mr. R. Bowdler Sharpe), and as I am afraid that before long it will be quite impossible to ascertain these dates, I have thought it might prove useful to record those that I have been able to obtain from their original covers; and should I get a sight of any not included in this list, to publish them on some future occasion. If we look, for instance, at the 'Mammals of Australia' we shall find that all three volumes bear the date 1863; but the first part of this work appeared in the year 1845. I am greatly indebted to Mr. R. H. Porter for aiding me in this work by saving for my inspection the whole of Mr. Gould's works that have come into his hands during the last few years. Though the main object of this little book is to record the dates of Mr. Gould's Works, I trust it may also prove useful to Zoologists as an Index."