Vintage robin etching, circa 1845-47

 

   Robins are one of the most common birds we see in my city, so this fella instantly stood out to me. I love that an etching from the mid 19th century can still feel so familiar today!

   This robin is from a book by Mary Elizabeth Southwell (Dudley) Leathley called "Mamma's Stories About Birds", published in London circa 1845-1847. (There is no author noted in the book, but I assume the California Digital Library, which uploaded it to the Internet Archive, knows what they're talking about!) 

  While I always love an original, authentic image, I wanted to see if I could make this bird a little clearer, and the result is above. And then I decided to isolate him (ugh, I can't the word "isolate" for this process - it sounds cruel! I'll need to think up my own word...!) so he'd be a great addition to digital projects. 

   These are all public domain, so feel free to share, alter, or create with them however you choose. Just click on the image to see the original size.