Edward Lear
Illustrations of the Family of Psittacidæ, or Parrots
The greater part of them species hitherto unfigured, containing forty-two lithographic plates, drawings from life, and on stone
"Illustrations of the Family of Psittacidæ, or Parrots" by Edward Lear is a book published in 1832 containing 42 hand-coloured lithographs. Created when Lear was just 18 years old, the work features parrots drawn from live specimens at the London Zoo and private collections. Though a financial failure, this pioneering volume established Lear as one of the finest natural history artists of his era, leading to commissions from prominent naturalists and even Queen Victoria, while influencing generations of bird illustrators to come.