A Feather of the Cassowary. Aboriginal Fish Hooks c1790.

by Kennion, Edward

Cassowary divided-feather, Fish Hooks of New South Wales. With letterpress about "The feathers of the New Holland Caffowary".

Rare original copperplate engraving by Edward Kennion for the Surgeon-General of the First Fleet and Settlement in Australia, John White's Journal of a Voyage to New South Wales published in London by J. Debrett in 1790. As well as being Surgeon-General of the British settlement at Port Jackson, White was an avid amateur naturalist who sent a collection of natural history specimens to his friend, surgeon Thomas Wilson in England to arrange for their publication. Sarah Stone drew forty-nine of the sixty-five specimens that were then engraved by five London nature artists, Frederick Nodder, Charles Catton Jr., Edward Kennion, Mortimer, and Sarah Stone.

White's Journal was published uncoloured. This engraving has fine later colour highlighting the fish hooks.
This page is clean, in good condition. The accompanying Letterpress is on poorer quality paper which has attracted soiling. Page size: 28 x 22cm (11 x 8.5 inches)