Dodo bird Dronte Raphus cucullatus and a guinea pig - a print by George Edwards, 1758 art poster canvas gift

A famous Georgian print of extinct Dodo bird, with a guinea pig next to it, engraved and hand coloured by George Edwards, 1758.

The dodo (Raphus cucullatus) was a flightless bird endemic to the Indian Ocean island of Mauritius.

George Edwards (1694 – 1773) was an English naturalist and ornithologist, known as the "father of British ornithology". Edwards was born at Stratford, Essex. In his early years he travelled extensively through mainland Europe, studying natural history, and gained some reputation for his coloured drawings of animals, especially birds. In 1733, on the recommendation of Sir Hans Sloane, he was appointed librarian to the Royal College of Physicians in London. (Sir Hans Sloane, founder of the British Museum, had employed George Edwards as a natural history painter for many years. He drew miniature figures of animals for Sir Hans Sloane. Edwards visited with Sir Sloane once a week to share news and a coffee. Sir Sloane kept track of Edwards expenses and paid him annually for such.) He served as librarian for thirty-six years. He was chosen Fellow of the Royal and Antiquarian Societies and rewarded with the Copley Medal. In 1743 he published the first volume of his A Natural History of Uncommon Birds, the fourth volume of which appeared in 1751, and three supplementary volumes, under the title Gleanings of Natural History, were issued in 1758, 1760 and 1764. The two works contain engravings and descriptions of more than 600 subjects in natural history not before described or delineated. He likewise added a general index in French and English, which was afterwards supplied with Linnaean names by Linnaeus himself, with whom he frequently corresponded. About 1764 he retired to Plaistow, Essex.

This poster is a high quality "giclée" reproduction of a restored antique original, custom-printed on Standard Single-weight Matt Coated art paper 140gsm or  Heavyweight Matt Coated art paper 230gsm (more of a thin card density), or superb Epson Matt Canvas 320gsm, according to your choice. We use the latest UltraChromeHDX pigment inks which guarantee 60 years of colour  permanence (up to 200 years fade-proof for colour prints).  This poster is suitable for mounting and framing, as well as direct display on a wall.