What is Elliot’s Birds of Paradise?

Elliot's Birds of Paradise

In the publication A Monograph of the Paradiseidae, or Birds of Paradise (1873)  Daniël Giraud Elliot brought together 36 hand-colored lithographic plates showing the dramatic and beautiful plumage of Birds of Paradise.

Elliot's print artists of the Birds of Paradise

Greater Bird of Paradise 001 Birds of Paradise. Daniel Giraud Elliot. Print Artists Joseph Wolf and Joseph Smit. Giclee Print.
Greater Bird of Paradise. Print artists: Wolf & Smit
King Bird of Paradise 015 Birds of Paradise. Daniel Giraud Elliot. Print Artists Joseph Wolf and Joseph Smit. Giclee Print.
King Bird of Paradise: Print artists: Wolf & Smit
Elliot's Sicklebill 019 Birds of Paradise. Daniel Giraud Elliot. Print Artists Joseph Wolf and Joseph Smit. Giclee Print.
Elliot's Sicklebill. Print artists: Wolf & Smit

Elliot (1835-1915) collaborated with print artists Joseph Wolf (1820-1899) and Joseph Smit, (1836-1929) and colorist JD White.

Wolf was specialized in natural history illustration and travelled to England in 1848. He became the preferred illustrator for explorers and naturalists, but only contributed illustrations on a freelance basis.

Smit was a Dutch zoological illustrator. In 1866 he was invited to England where he became a friend of Wolf and contributed to several publications.

Regen Bird 026 Birds of Paradise. Daniel Giraud Elliot. Print Artists Joseph Wolf and Joseph Smit. Giclee Print.
Regent Bird. Print artists: Wolf & Smit.
Six Plumed Bird of Paradise 009 Birds of Paradise. Daniel Giraud Elliot. Print Artists Joseph Wolf and Joseph Smit. Giclee Print.
Six-plumed Bird of Paradise: Print artists: Wolf & Smit.

Elliot writes of the illustrations: 

“The drawings of Mr. Wolf will, I am sure, receive the admirationof those who see them; for, like all that artist’s productions, they cannot be surpassed, if equalled, at the present time. Mr. J. Smit has lithographed the drawings with his usual conscientious fidelity, and in his share of the work has left me nothing to desire. In the colouring of the plates Mr. J.D. White has faithfully followed the originals; and in the difficult portions where it was necessary to produce the metallic hues, he has been very successful”.

Commenting on this collection, author of The Art of Natural History, Peter Dance said: 

“The plates in this work, almost as magnificent as the birds they portray, were the fruits of Elliot’s considerable wealth, Wolf’s great artistry and both men’s profound knowledge and love of birds.”

Elliot's artistic work

Magnificent Bird of Paradise 011 Birds of Paradise. Daniel Giraud Elliot. Print Artists Joseph Wolf and Joseph Smit. Giclee Print.
Magnificant Bird of Paradise. Print artists: Wolf & Smit.
Prince Alberts Riflebird. Print artists: Wolf & Smit.

Elliot’s Birds of Paradise is dedicated to Alfred Russel Wallace, to whom Elliot expresses his indebtedness ‘for nearly all our information regarding the habits of many species’.

Teylers Museum

Taken from the original illustrations in the libraries of Teylers Museum in the Netherlands, the collection A Monograph of the Paradiseidae, or Birds of Paradise (1873) contains 36 prints after the hand-colored originals.