1835-1915

Daniel Giraud Elliot (1835-1915) was born in New York, but later moved to Chicago to serve as Curator of Zoology at the Field Museum of Natural History. Because of his wealth and interest in ornithology, he published a series of sumptuos color-plate books on birds and animals. Although most publishers had turned to smaller formats and cheaper coloring techniques, the Elliot books were distinguished by his scholarly text and the highest standards of production. He commissioned Josef Wolf and Josef Smit, both of whom had worked for John Gould, to execute his drawings.