Case 21
- Early 20th Century Bird Identification
W.R.B. Oliver. New Zealand birds. Illustrations by Lily Daff. Wellington: Fine Arts N.Z. Ltd, 1930.
Born in Tasmania, Walter Reginald Brook Oliver (1883-1957) was a New Zealand naturalist and museum director who achieved scientific eminence in a diverse range of fields, including botany, molluscs, cetaceans, and birds.
Oliver’s major ornithological work New Zealand birds was first published in 1930. It became the standard work for the taxonomic description of New Zealand birds and underwent an extensive revision for the enlarged 1955 edition. The displayed first edition includes six colour plates by Lily Daff, who also drew many of the birds’ heads contained within and designed the pictorial endpapers.
W.R.B. Oliver. New Zealand birds. Illustrations by Lily Daff. Wellington: Fine Arts N.Z. Ltd, 1930.
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Perrine Moncrieff. New Zealand birds and how to identify them. Auckland: Whitcombe and Tombs, 1925.
Perrine Moncrieff (1893-1979) was a prominent New Zealand conservationist. She emigrated from Britain in 1921 and settled in Nelson. She purchased land on the shore of Tasman Bay which became a scenic reserve in the 1930s, later designated the Abel Tasman National Park. She served on the park board until the age of 81 and was a founding member of the Native Bird Protection Society (1923) and the Ornithological Society (1940).
There was no contemporary pocket field guide on New Zealand birds, and in 1925 Moncrieff wrote New Zealand birds and how to identify them. She used her own observations in the field and in museums, ornithological texts, and had help from R.A. Falla, W.R.B. Oliver, and other ornithologists. Although she intended her book for the untrained bird-lover, it influenced scientists as well as laypersons and ran to five editions.
The internal colour plates are by Lily Daff, but the cover illustration of the first edition is by Moncrieff.
Perrine Moncrieff. New Zealand birds and how to identify them. Auckland: Whitcombe and Tombs, 1925.
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Perrine Moncrieff. New Zealand birds and how to identify them. 2nd ed. Auckland: Whitcombe and Tombs, 1936.
Perrine Moncrieff (1893-1979) was a prominent New Zealand conservationist. She emigrated from Britain in 1921 and settled in Nelson. She purchased land on the shore of Tasman Bay which became a scenic reserve in the 1930s, later designated the Abel Tasman National Park. She served on the park board until the age of 81 and was a founding member of the Native Bird Protection Society (1923) and the Ornithological Society (1940).
There was no contemporary pocket field guide on New Zealand birds, and in 1925 Moncrieff wrote New Zealand birds and how to identify them. She used her own observations in the field and in museums, ornithological texts, and had help from R.A. Falla, W.R.B. Oliver, and other ornithologists. Although she intended her book for the untrained bird-lover, it influenced scientists as well as laypersons and ran to five editions.
Perrine Moncrieff. New Zealand birds and how to identify them. 2nd ed. Auckland: Whitcombe and Tombs, 1936.
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A.W.B. Powell. Native animals of New Zealand. Auckland: Unity Press, 1947.
Arthur William Baden Powell (1901-87) was a New Zealand-born naturalist and museum professional best known for his expertise in molluscs. A classic of Kiwiana with its iconic yellow and orange cover, Powell’s Native animals has been constantly in print since it was first published in 1947. By means of Powell’s clear drawings, simple descriptions, and brief information on native animals from invertebrates to birds and mammals, this book provides a unique introduction to New Zealand fauna.
The first edition of 1947 is displayed here.
