Monday, February 6, 2023

SANDWICH ISLANDS BIRDS BY AN ENGLISHMAN



 Some of the earliest paintings of the birds of the Sandwich Islands (Hawaii) were done by an Engkishman, FREDERICK WILLIAM FROHAWK. He was born in Norfolk in 1861        and showed an aptitude for drawing, as well as a love of natural history in childhood. He was mainly home schooled, but in his college years he contracted typhus, which rendered him nearly blind in one eye.

His love was butterflies and for over 20 years he bred every species in Britain. At one point he needed extra money and sold his collection to Lord Walter Rothchild for 1,000 pounds. This collection is now part of the Rothchild collection in the Natural History Museum of London.`


I cannot find when he came to Hawaii to draw the native birds but the books were in 8 parts, being published from 1890- 99.

He died in 1946 in Surrey.


Paintings: Top- 'I'iw        Left-  Common 'Amakihi

No comments:

Post a Comment