Authentic original antique print engraving published in "The Fisheries and Fishery Industries of the United States", 1887. By: George Brown Goode. Plate 36. Titled, "THE COD FISHERY OF ALASKA". Very good + condition, measures approx. 8.75x11.5 inches. "The Fisheries and Fishery Industries of the United States" was a multi-volume work by Goode and United States Fisheries commissioner Spencer F. Baird. Read below for history of the publication. This is an original antique NOT a reproduction. All items are shipped shrink wrapped flat on acid free backing.
The Fisheries and Fishery Industries of the United States
(Fisheries Exhibit in The U.S. National Museum, 1886, Smithsonian Archives)
The fish and marine life engravings from this publication were done as drawings from real specimens or sketches from the Fisheries Industries walks of life from around the country. The specimens were then stored at the Smithsonian. Once the artwork was engraved onto a copper plate it was printed and bound into multiple books showing marine specimens and the Fisheries Industries lifestyle. Below is a brief synopsis of the work behind the artwork.
The famed ichthyologist (fish scientist), Smithsonian Museum
administrator, and U.S. Fish Commissioner, George Brown Goode (good? dee),
managed a large scientific staff to research and write this compendium of the
state of the American fisheries in the early 1880s. It is a monumental,
multi-volume work that describes fish and their life histories, ecological
relationships, the equipment, and methods of American fishermen, as well as the
American fishermen's way of life.
In 1871, Congress created the U.S. Commission of Fish and
Fisheries to study declining fisheries and recommend solutions to reverse this
trend. Acknowledging that the U.S. lacked fundamental knowledge of its
fisheries, the first head of the Commission, Spencer Baird, initiated a
research program to study fishes and their marine environment, fishing
equipment and methods, fisheries statistics, and fish culture and propagation.
Content Scope
To help answer the need for more detailed information on the history and current state of the U.S. fishing industry, George Brown Goode, Baird's assistant and later the Assistant Director of the National Museum (precursor to the Smithsonian), oversaw the research, writing, and publication of The Fisheries and Fishery Industries of the United States. The scope of the work is amazing!
Under Goode's direction, a team of more than 20 fisheries scientists and researchers and up to 20 clerical employees investigated the natural history of 239 marine mammals and fish, including seals, whales, turtles, fishes, lobsters, crabs, oysters, clams, and sponges, as well as their geographical distribution, size, migrations, and economic value. Goode's researchers studied fishermen and fishing towns, lending insights into 19th century attitudes towards this important American subculture.
Author: George Brown
Goode (1851-1896)
Date Published:
1884-1887
Publisher: U.S. Government Printing Office. Washington, DC
Reference- NOAA