Currently not on view
A history of British birds,
Newcastle : Printed by J. Blackwell and Co., for R.E. Bewick ; London : sold by him, Longman & Co., 1847
Thomas Bewick, British, 1753–1828
L.2019.23.7
Bewick’s A History of British Birds presents accurate depictions of British fauna as well as mysterious vignettes that Bewick called “little whimsies.” The latter were so captivating that Charlotte Brontë opened her 1847 novel Jane Eyre with her main character imagining stories into them, including the one shown here: “The fiend pinning down the thief’s pack behind him, I passed over quickly: it was an object of terror.” Brontë was not alone in her fascination with the volumes. Readers often collected specimens related to specific entries, as one reader did with this heron feather, which corresponds to an illustration in an 1847 reissue.
Information
Title
A history of British birds
Dates
Newcastle : Printed by J. Blackwell and Co., for R.E. Bewick ; London : sold by him, Longman & Co., 1847
Maker
Dimensions
23 cm (9 1/16 in.)
Credit Line
Department of Rare Books and Special Collections, Firestone Library
Object Number
L.2019.23.7
