Gouldian Finch, Lady Gould Finch or Rainbow Finch. Chromolithograph c1906.

by Fuertes, Louis Agassiz

Antique print of Erythrura gouldiae, now Chloebia gouldiae.

Named by John Gould in 1844, it is now also known as Chloebia gouldiae. This beautiful bird is thought to have originated in India and dispersed towards Africa and Pacific Ocean habitats. Original colour-printed lithograph by Louis Agassiz Fuertes printed by A. Hoen & Co of Baltimore for the United States Departmentof Agriculture to record the birds that fed on the fruit trees.

Between 1886 and 1942, over 7000 technically accurate watercolour paintings, lithographs and line drawings were produced for the United States Department of Agriculture Division of Pomology (edible agriculture). Before the widespread use of photography, around 21 artists were commissioned between 1890 and 1916 to create watercolours of fruit, vegetables, nuts, and related fauna from 29 countries and 51 states and territories of the U.S. Chromolithographs were made from many of these for the Yearbook U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, to enable circulation of the images.

Page size is approximately 22 x 14cm (12 x 5.5 inches). There is slight water damage along the top edge of this image, but it does not detract from this lovely image.