Glaucis fraseri (Fraser's Barbed-throat)

Created through lithography, the print was first drawn onto a stone surface, inked, and transferred to paper before being hand‑coloured with water‑based pigments. The method allowed for fine line work and subtle gradations of colour, evident in the nuanced shading of the hummingbirds’ feathers and the soft transitions within the orchid blossoms.

John Gould, a prominent English ornithologist, produced the print as part of his broader series of bird illustrations in the early 1840s. Although many of his plates were executed by collaborators such as his wife Elizabeth Gould, this particular image bears Gould’s name and reflects his direct involvement in documenting Australian avifauna.

The lithograph appears within the larger framework of Gould’s multi‑volume publications on Australian birds, which combined scientific description with visual documentation. During the 19th century, such illustrated works were essential for disseminating knowledge of newly described species to both scientific audiences and the educated public.