Antique Bird Print - von Wright - Somateria Mollissima - Common Eider - F5

”Somateria Mollissima”

This decorative chromolithography is from Magnus von Wright’s ”venska Foglar Efter Naturen Och Pa Stenritade”. The work was published in Stockholm by Algernon Börtzells tryckeri A.B, 1920.

Magnus von Wright (1805 - 68) was the first taxidermist working with the vertebrate collections of Helsinki University. Starting out as a taxidermist in the 1820's, he stuffed birds for Societas pro Flora et Fauna Fennica, the oldest scientific society in Finland, and in 1845, became taxidermist at the university's zoological museum. Von Wright made several study journeys to Stockholm and St. Petersburg, and even wrote a short manual on how mount birds. Though a skilful taxidermist, his reputation, like that of his two brothers, Wilhelm and Ferdinand, rests on his skill as a zoological illustrator. In 1859 he published the first handbook on Finnish birds.

Dimensions

28 cm x 38 cm

Artist or Maker

Magnus von Wright

Medium

Chromolithography

Date

1920