Celebrate John and Elizabeth Gould’s classic collection of bird lithographs with the Hummingbirds collection of Aurum® gold fine art prints. The John and Elizabeth Gould Collection – Hummingbirds includes the lithograph artwork of the Fawn-Tailed, Fraser’s Hermit, Mazeppas, Salles Hermit, and Sickle Bill Hummingbirds.
John Gould was a notable ornithologist, and his wife, Elizabeth Gould, produced beautiful, intricate illustrations to supplement his monographs. Working in concert with several lithographers, the Goulds created one of the most extensive collections of ornithological lithographs of the 1800s. John Gould worked closely with Charles Darwin to identify and categorize bird specimens collected during Darwin’s second HMS Beagle expedition to the Galapagos Islands. Gould and Darwin published their discovery of several new species unique to the islands.
The Artwork | Fine Art Prints
Each fine art print in the John and Elizabeth Gould Collection – Hummingbirds showcases one of the original Gould ornithological illustrations on a background of 24 karat gold. Lightweight, durable, and collectible, these exquisite prints represent the blending of cutting-edge technology and timeless lithographic artwork. During his lifetime, John Gould published an astonishing 3,000 lithographs, many of which were designed, illustrated, and painted by Elizabeth Gould. Each lithograph plate depicts a single species shown in lifelike poses, with selected elements from their natural habitat.
The Aurum®
Aurum® gold prints are the smallest verifiable unit of gold available on the market today. Each fine art print within the John and Elizabeth Gould Collection – Hummingbirds contains a precise, verifiable 100mg of 24 karat gold. A superfine layer of gold is applied to a protective, printable polymer material using patented, proprietary processes. A superfine layer of gold is applied to a protective, printable polymer material using patented, proprietary processes. The precious metal within each Aurum® is visible throughout each fine art print from edge to edge and is fully recoverable using
standard fire assay techniques.