Archibald Thorburn Collection

Riparia riparia, Hirundo rustica, Delichon urbica
Plate 36 from Archibald Thorburns second edtition of British Birds, Vol. 1 (1925)

Parus palustris, P. major, P. ater, P. cristatus, P. caeruleu
Plate 10 from Archibald Thorburns first edition of British Birds, Vol.1 (1915)

A Cock and Hen Pheasant at the Edge of a Wood, 1897 (pencil and watercolour)
828474 A Cock and Hen Pheasant at the Edge of a Wood, 1897 (pencil and watercolour) by Thorburn, Archibald (1860-1935); 24.4x34.9 cm; Private Collection; (add.info)

Aquila chrysaetus, golden eagle
Plate 78 from Archibald Thorburns second edtition of British Birds, Vol. 2 (1925)

Jynx torquilla, wryneck, Dendrocopos major, great spotted wo
Plate 60 from Archibald Thorburns second edtition of British Birds, Vol. 2 (1925)

Phoenicurus phoenicurus, P. ochruros, Luscinia megarhynchos
Plate 4 from Archibald Thorburns first edition of British Birds, Vol.1 (1915)

Circus aeruginosus, marsh harrier
Plate 73 from Archibald Thorburns second edtition of British Birds, Vol. 2 (1925)

Physeter catodon and Hyperoodon ampullatus
Sperm whale and northern bottlenose whale. Plate 45 from British Mammals Vol. 1 & 2 by Archibald Thorburn, 1920-21

Goshawk, (watercolour heightened with bodycolour)
651876 Goshawk, (watercolour heightened with bodycolour) by Thorburn, Archibald (1860-1935); 17.1x24.1 cm; Private Collection; (add.info.: Goshawk. Archibald Thorburn (1860-1935)

A White-Fronted Goose, (pencil and watercolour heightened with white)
659894 A White-Fronted Goose, (pencil and watercolour heightened with white) by Thorburn, Archibald (1860-1935); 17.5x24.8 cm; Private Collection; (add.info.: A White-Fronted Goose)

A Kingfisher Amongst Reeds in Winter, 1901 (pencil and watercolour heightened with white)
652079 A Kingfisher Amongst Reeds in Winter, 1901 (pencil and watercolour heightened with white) by Thorburn, Archibald (1860-1935); 53.3x36.5 cm; Private Collection; (add.info)

A Little Crake, (watercolour heightened with white)
651869 A Little Crake, (watercolour heightened with white) by Thorburn, Archibald (1860-1935); 22.8x31.7. cm; Private Collection; (add.info.: A Little Crake. Archibald Thorburn (1860-1935)

A Razorbill, (pencil and watercolour heightened with white)
651870 A Razorbill, (pencil and watercolour heightened with white) by Thorburn, Archibald (1860-1935); 22.5x15.3 cm; Private Collection; (add.info.: A Razorbill. Archibald Thorburn (1860-1935)

Mergansers, on Loch Maree, 1905 (watercolour heightened with bodycolour)
659879 Mergansers, on Loch Maree, 1905 (watercolour heightened with bodycolour) by Thorburn, Archibald (1860-1935); 38x54.5 cm; Private Collection; (add.info.: Mergansers, on Loch Maree)

Ptarmigan in the Snow, 1898 (pencil and watercolour)
659727 Ptarmigan in the Snow, 1898 (pencil and watercolour) by Thorburn, Archibald (1860-1935); 59x94 cm; Private Collection; (add.info.: Ptarmigan in the Snow. Archibald Thorburn (1860-1935)

A Pink-Footed Goose, (pencil and watercolour heightened with white)
659893 A Pink-Footed Goose, (pencil and watercolour heightened with white) by Thorburn, Archibald (1860-1935); 17.2x24.7 cm; Private Collection; (add.info.: A Pink-Footed Goose)

Hoopoes, 1924 (pencil and watercolour heightened with bodycolour on grey paper)
651839 Hoopoes, 1924 (pencil and watercolour heightened with bodycolour on grey paper) by Thorburn, Archibald (1860-1935); 26.2x18.4 cm; Private Collection; (add.info.: Hoopoes)

A Brunnichs Guillemot, (pencil and watercolour with touches of white heightening)
651871 A Brunnichs Guillemot, (pencil and watercolour with touches of white heightening) by Thorburn, Archibald (1860-1935); 24.5x17.2 cm; Private Collection; (add.info.: A Brunnichs Guillemot)

Blackgame, 1928 (pencil and watercolour heightened with white)
651862 Blackgame, 1928 (pencil and watercolour heightened with white) by Thorburn, Archibald (1860-1935); 35.6x54.6 cm; Private Collection; (add.info.: Blackgame. Archibald Thorburn (1860-1935)

A Woodcock and Chicks, 1933 (pencil and watercolour heightened with white)
651852 A Woodcock and Chicks, 1933 (pencil and watercolour heightened with white) by Thorburn, Archibald (1860-1935); 28x38.1 cm; Private Collection; (add.info.: A Woodcock and Chicks)

A Hooded Crow and a Carrion Crow, 1924 (pencil and watercolour with touches of white
651835 A Hooded Crow and a Carrion Crow, 1924 (pencil and watercolour with touches of white heightening) by Thorburn, Archibald (1860-1935); 17.8x27.9 cm; Private Collection; (add.info)

Frosty Morning, Pheasant in Winter, 1899 (pencil and w / c on paper)
1199529 Frosty Morning, Pheasant in Winter, 1899 (pencil and w/c on paper) by Thorburn, Archibald (1860-1935); 53.4x36.3 cm; Private Collection; Photo eChristies Images; Scottish, out of copyright

Golden Eagles at Their Eyrie, 1900 (pencil and watercolour heightened with white
651851 Golden Eagles at Their Eyrie, 1900 (pencil and watercolour heightened with white, on brown paper) by Thorburn, Archibald (1860-1935); 22.2x14.6 cm; Private Collection; (add.info)

Mallard Widgeon and Snipe at the Edge of a Pool in Winter, 1898 (pencil and watercolour)
659728 Mallard Widgeon and Snipe at the Edge of a Pool in Winter, 1898 (pencil and watercolour) by Thorburn, Archibald (1860-1935); 57.2x79.3 cm; Private Collection; (add.info)

A Woodcock and Chick in Undergrowth, 1905 (pencil and w / c on paper)
1199528 A Woodcock and Chick in Undergrowth, 1905 (pencil and w/c on paper) by Thorburn, Archibald (1860-1935); 55.3x38.1 cm; Private Collection; Photo eChristies Images; Scottish, out of copyright

The Lost Hind, 1894 (pencil and w / c on paper)
1199572 The Lost Hind, 1894 (pencil and w/c on paper) by Thorburn, Archibald (1860-1935); 71.1x115.9 cm; Private Collection; Photo eChristies Images; Scottish, out of copyright

Polecat, c1905, (1943). Creator: Archibald Thorburn
Polecat, c1905, (1943). From " Mammals of Great Britain and Ireland" by John Guille Millais. [1904-1906]. Published in " Wildlife of Britain, by F. Fraser Darling

Red Grouse, 1908, (1942). Creator: Archibald Thorburn
Red Grouse, 1908, (1942). Game birds, from " Natural History of British Game Birds" by John Guille Millais. Published in " The Birds of Britain, by James Fisher. [Collins, London, 1942]

Monodon monoceros, narwhal and Delphinapterus leucas, beluga
Plate 47 from British Mammals Vol. 1 & 2 by Archibald Thorburn, 1920-21

Strix aluco, tawny owl
Plate 68 from Archibald Thorburns second edtition of British Birds, Vol. 2 (1925)

Parus ater, coal tit, Parus major, great tit
Plate 25 from Archibald Thorburns second edtition of British Birds, Vol. 1 (1925)

Bombycilla garrulus, Bohemian waxwing
Plate 34 from Archibald Thorburns second edtition of British Birds, Vol. 1 (1925)

Saxicola rubetra, whinchat, Saxicola torquata, common stonec
Plate 7 from Archibald Thorburns second edtition of British Birds, Vol. 1 (1925)

Passer montanus, tree sparrow, Pyrrhula pyrrhula, Eurasian b
Plate 40 from Archibald Thorburns second edtition of British Birds, Vol. 1 (1925)

Dama dama, fallow deer
Plate 38 from British Mammals Vol. 1 & 2 by Archibald Thorburn, 1920-21

Lagenorhynchus albirostris, Delphinus delphis & Tursiops tru
White-beaked dolphin, short-beaked common dolphin & common bottlenose dolphin. Plate 50 from British Mammals Vol. 1 & 2 by Archibald Thorburn, 1920-21

Odobenus rosmarus, walrus
Trichechus rosmarus, walrus. Plate 12 from British Mammals Vol. 1 & 2 by Archibald Thorburn, 1920-21

Balaenoptera musculus, blue whale and Balaenoptera physalus
Plate 43 from British Mammals Vol. 1 & 2 by Archibald Thorburn, 1920-21

British Mammals Title Page
Title page of Vol. 1 from British Mammals Vol. 1 & 2, written and illustrated with 50 colour plates and pen and ink sketches by Archibald Thorburn F.Z.S

Lepus europaeus, European brown hare
Plate 33 from British Mammals Vol. 1 & 2 by Archibald Thorburn, 1920-21

Mus musculus, house mouse and Mus muralis, St. Kilda house m
Common Mouse and St. Kilda House Mouse. Plate 28 from British Mammals Vol. 1 & 2 by Archibald Thorburn, 1920-21

Turdus pilaris, fieldfare, Turdus iliacus, redwing
Plate 2 from Archibald Thorburns second edtition of British Birds, Vol. 1 (1925)

Recurvirostra avocetta, pied avocet
Hand coloured lithograph by Archibald Thorburn. Held in the Zoology Library at the Natural History Museum, London

Lanius minor, lesser grey shrike, Lanius senator, woodchat s
Plate 32 from Archibald Thorburns second edtition of British Birds, Vol. 1 (1925)

Turdus torquatus, ring ouzel, Turdus merula, blackbird
Plate 4 from Archibald Thorburns second edtition of British Birds, Vol. 1 (1925)

Arenaria interpres, Pluvialis apricaria, Pluvialis squatarol
Plate 139 from Archibald Thorburns second edtition of British Birds, Vol. 3 (1926)

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Archibald Thorburn, a renowned artist and naturalist, captured the essence of wildlife in his exquisite artworks. His attention to detail was unparalleled, as seen in his depiction of various bird species such as Riparia riparia (sand martin), Hirundo rustica (barn swallow), and Delichon urbica (house martin). Thorburn's mastery extended beyond birds; he also portrayed Parus palustris (marsh tit), P. major (great tit), P. Ater (coal tit), P. Cristatus (crested tit), and P. Caeruleus (blue tit) with remarkable precision. Even majestic creatures like Aquila chrysaetus, the golden eagle, were brought to life on his canvas. Not limited to avian subjects alone, Thorburn ventured into capturing Phoenicurus phoenicurus (common redstart), P. Ochruros (black redstart), and Luscinia megarhynchos (Nightingale) in their natural habitats. One of Thorburn's notable works is "A Cock and Hen Pheasant at the Edge of a Wood" from 1897—a stunning piece rendered using pencil and watercolor techniques that showcases his ability to portray woodland scenes flawlessly. His expertise extended even further with depictions of Jynx torquilla (wryneck)and Dendrocopos major (great spotted woodpecker). He showcased marine life too by illustrating Physeter catodon (sperm whale)and Hyperoodon ampullatus (northern bottlenose whale). Thorburn's portfolio also includes Milvus milvus (red kite)and Goshawk—both captivatingly depicted through watercolor heightened with body color. The artist's versatility shines through in pieces like "A White-Fronted Goose, " where he employed pencil and watercolor heightened with white to create an ethereal effect.