03/10/2026
A History of British Birds began appearing in monthly parts in 1850, bringing beautifully illustrated studies of British birds to a much wider audience. Each part contained 24 pages of text and four hand-coloured bird illustrations, making natural history accessible beyond the expensive books and private collections of the time.
The book was written by Rev. Francis Orpen Morris, a clergyman and passionate naturalist, and illustrated by Benjamin Fawcett, a remarkable wood engraver and colourist working from his printing workshop in Driffield, Yorkshire. Together, they created a work that combined careful observation with extraordinary craftsmanship. The finished book even found its way into the world of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, who owned copies.
More than 170 years later, these prints still carry that sense of discovery. Each one is a small piece of Victorian natural-history art, carefully printed and hand-coloured, originally made for people who simply wanted to look more closely at the birds around them.
And these birds don’t really belong only in a collector’s cabinet. They can brighten a living room, settle beautifully into a study or library, or bring a little nature into a school or educational space. They work just as well in conference rooms, offices and public spaces. Wherever they find a home, they bring with them a little colour, curiosity and the feeling of having nature close by.
Product details;
1. Bulwer’s Petrel ( Product Code: PVWE020)
2. Common Gull (Product Code: PVWE013)
3. Canada Goose (Product Code: PVWE006)
4. Avocet (Product Code: PVWE007)
5. Black Throated Diver (Product Code: PVWE019)
6. American Wigeon (Product Code: PVWE019)
Print Type: Antique Hand-Coloured Wood Engraving
Made of: Paper
Author & Naturalist: Rev. Francis Orpen Morris, author of A History of British Birds
Artist & Engraver: Benjamin Fawcett, Driffield, Yorkshire
Publisher: Groombridge & Sons, London
Age: C. 1851–1866 (approximately 170 yrs old)
Provenance: England
Dimensions:
Frame Size: 12” x 10” x .75”
Print Size: 10 × 7 inches
Weight: 1 kg
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