Kangaroo, Indian Goat & Buck, and Akouchi. Mammals c1822.

by Davenport, Samuel

Small antique print of Kangaroo, Sheep, Goat, Akouchi. 1. Buck of India. 2. Goat of India. 3. Akouchi (of Guiana?). 4. Kangaroo - rather strange (1774) engraving from a stuffed skin sent back to London after discovery on the east coast of Australian during Captain Cook voyage in 1770.

Original steel engraving of fine quality by Samuel Davenport (1783-1867) for Goldsmith’s A History of the Earth and Animated Nature, published in London by T. Tegg c1822. Oliver Goldsmith (1728-1774) compiled a work on all that was known about earth and its inhabitants. First published in 1774, its beautiful engravings featured either groups of nature or spectacular individual species, each beautifully hand-coloured with watercolour. A History of the Earth and Animated Nature became a popular source of information about the natural world. With its wonderful illustrations this publication was re-issued more than twenty times over the 80 years period following its initial publication. This engraving is from the small edition published in 1822.

Samuel Davenport was one of the first illustrators to engrave on steel.

Page size 210 x 135 mm (8.1/4 x 5.1/4 inches). To plate border measures 160 x 95mm (6.1/4 x 3.3/4 inches).