Birdman’s Wife, The

Ashley, Melissa

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AUSTRALIAN FAUNA

AUSTRALIAN ART

Biography

Inspired by letters from Elizabeth found tucked inside her famous husband’s research, The Birdmans Wife takes the form of an intimate memoir of a woman whose talent and adventurous spirit led her from the glittering salons of London to the wilds of Van Diemans land and New South Wales. Artist Elizabeth Gould spent her life capturing the sublime beauty of birds the world had never seen before. But her legacy was eclipsed by the fame of her husband, John Gould. This book at last gives voice to a passionate and adventurous spirit who was so much more than the woman behind the man. Elizabeth was a woman ahead of her time, juggling the demands of her artistic life with her roles as wife, lover, helpmate, and mother to an ever-growing brood of children. In a golden age of discovery, her artistry breathed wondrous life into countless exotic new species, including Charles Darwin’s Galapagos finches. In this book, a naìˆve young girl who falls in love with an ambitious genius comes into her own as a woman, an artist and a bold adventurer who defies convention by embarking on a trailblazing expedition to the colonies to discover Australia’s curious birdlife. This is an indelible portrait of an extraordinary woman overlooked by history until now.

Additional Information

AuthorAshley, Melissa
Number of pages389
PublisherAffirm Press, South Melbourne
Year Published2017
Binding Type

Hardcover in Dustjacket

Book Condition

Fine

Elizabeth’s Bookshops have been one of Australia’s premier independent book dealers since 1973. Elizabeth’s family-owned business operates four branches in Perth CBD, Fremantle (WA), and Newtown (NSW). All orders are dispatched within 24 hours from our Fremantle Warehouse.

All items can be viewed at Elizabeth’s Bookshop Warehouse, 23 Queen Victoria Street, Fremantle WA.
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