Titian Ramsay Peale was an accomplished artist who collected specimens and made detailed drawings of Pacific Island flora and fauna. His splendid depiction of Fiji Island parrots—now threatened by habitat loss and illegal trade—is one of the hand-colored engravings that illustrate the U.S. Exploring Expedition’s multivolume report, published 1844–1874 by authority of Congress.
Rare Book and Special Collections Division, Library of Congress
Ornithology plate printer's proof of parrots, by Titian Peale, hand-colored engraving by T. House, Boston
Extending the Boundaries of Science
The U.S. Exploring Expedition included experts in geology, natural history, botany, horticulture, linguistics, and zoology, as well as visual artists. They collected tens of thousands of specimens, which—along with their scientific illustrations, observations, and data—formed an exhaustive body of information about Pacific islands and peoples. Congress authorized publication of a multi-volume report of the findings, and the expedition’s artifacts and specimens established or enhanced the holdings of the Smithsonian Institution, the U.S. Botanic Garden, and other major research institutions.
Titian Ramsay Peale was an accomplished artist who collected specimens and made detailed drawings of Pacific Island flora and fauna. His splendid depiction of Fiji Island parrots—now threatened by habitat loss and illegal trade—is one of the hand-colored engravings that illustrate the U.S. Exploring Expedition’s multivolume report, published 1844–1874 by authority of Congress.
Rare Book and Special Collections Division, Library of Congress
