New York Zoological Bird Illustrations

This beautiful address of thanks, presented to Andrew Carnegie by the New York Zoo, was painted by Mary Emily Eaton (1873-1961). Mary grew up in England and studied art at the Taunton School of Art as well as the Royal College of Art. She moved to New York City in 1911 where she was employed by the Botanical Garden to illustrate their plant specimens. Mary worked for the garden for 36 years, producing hundreds of beautifully detailed drawings of plants. She was admired for her skill to paint with the highest botanical accuracy without outlining anything in pencil. 

This certificate is one of very few examples of her picturing wildlife and a true statement of Mary’s artistic abilities. She has painted some of the birds at the zoo (from the top, clockwise) - a red bird-of-paradise, a resplendent quetzal, a scarlet ibis, a snowy egret, flamingo and the Carolina parakeet. Two of the species that she has depicted have near threatened status and one species, tragically, is now extinct. 

Try and find some more information about these birds online. Do they share a natural habitat? Do you think Mary has captured their likeness well?

Let’s make!

Join Annie and learn to make your own tropical paper bird inspired by the birds illustrated on this certificate.