A photographic tribute to the intricate ornithological illustrations of the 18th and 19th centuries Consisting of images photographed from the pages of antique ornithological volumes, this book is Clark Winter’s tribute to the glorious world of exotic birds. In the 18th and 19th centuries, explorers wandered the planet in search of the unknown, sometimes traveling for years with little communication and guidance. When they returned home with specimens of hitherto unknown species of flora and fauna, people were astounded by such visual extravagance. Of birds in particular, their shapes, intricate color patterns and feathers were overwhelming—alternatively described as divinely inspired or the result of evolution and the battle for survival: a debate that continues to this day. With documentation of their intricate hand-colored illustrations, Birds is a testament to this lost sense of awe, one difficult yet not impossible to access in today’s connected world.