Geoff Norman, author of the award-winning Buller’s Birds of New Zealand: the Complete Work of JG Keulemans from Te Papa Press, will give an illustrated talk about the fascinating history of this iconic book. Buller’s Birds’ features some of our country’s most recognised and reused images, seen on everything from billboards to cake tins.
Published in October 2012, and reprinted by popular demand in May 2013, ‘Buller’s Birds’ is now a finalist in the New Zealand Post Book Awards, with the winners being announced on 28 August.
Geoff will talk about the technology behind the original prints; the relationship between Keulemans, who made the images, and Buller, who profited from them; and the story of how Te Papa Press came to republish the art to such widespread acclaim. The book is short listed for the NZ Post Book Awards.
Special on the day offer: Purchase any two items from the range and receive a 20% discount from Te Papa Store.
Buller’s Birds of New Zealand includes the complete set of 95 artworks from both editions of A History of the Birds of New Zealand by Walter Buller and the subsequent supplement, specially photographed and reproduced at original size and in full colour using high quality modern printing techniques. Each bird painting is accompanied by a selection of Buller’s original, descriptive text as well as up-to-date taxonomic information in English and te reo Māori.
Uniquely, Buller’s Birds of New Zealand features fresh reproductions of the original watercolour-and-pencil paintings for Buller’s iconic second edition and its supplement, made possible by the author’s rediscovery of these works at the Ornithological Branch of the British Natural History Museum. Bright, luminous and clear, Keulemans’ masterpieces are seen here for the first time as the artist intended.
Feature Image: Detail from: Kea Nestor notabilis, Kākā Nestor meridionalis. Buller’s Birds of New Zealand: The complete work of J G Keulemans,Te Papa Press, 2012.