If you can’t get to the tropical rainforests of Ecuador, you can visit the Booth Museum of Natural History to hold a hummingbird in your hand. This week, sculptor Eve Shepherd spent many hours in her favourite local museum in Brighton, studying some of the smaller avian species once worn as fashion ornaments.
‘The hummingbird is such a beautiful, tiny bird,’ says Eve. ‘The green lustre of its feathers makes it one of the most exquisite creatures. It always astounds me that nature could make something so tiny and so very perfect! Sadly, though, it was this beauty that made the Victorians want to use hummingbirds to adorn ladies' hats.’
Not just hats, but also fans and – incredibly – earrings too, as you can see in these images from Manchester Natural History Museum and the V&A.
Eve is now researching the 24 bird species that'll feature in Emily Williamson’s skirts, each one telling a story of campaigning and conservation.
At the Booth Museum, curator Lee Ismail unwrapped a range of small birds stuffed during the Victorian era – ironically a time of great scientific enquiry, as well as avian adornment. Hummingbirds, swifts and kingfishers were once sold in their thousands at weekly London auctions (see below), then processed by feather manufacturers into hat accessories.
No wonder Emily Williamson founded her Society for the Protection of Birds in 1889 out of anger, calling out the cruel plumage trade and women's vanity.
Today, taxidermy from Emily’s lifetime is proving a vital resource for Eve as she starts her research. 'I'm going to breathe life into these birds again.'
Donate HERE towards a statue of RSPB founder Emily Williamson. We’re now up to £20,865 on Just Giving, plus £3,000 from Andrew’s bike ride. Can we push the total to £25,000?
Read more about hummingbirds in The Glitter in the Green by Jon Dunn. Jon’s obsession took him on a quest from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego in search of the most extraordinary species. 'A mesmerising, wonder-filled travelogue', with astonishing photos.
Read more about the Victorian plumage trade and Emily, Etta and Eliza’s all-female RSPB campaign, in Etta Lemon by Tessa Boase. 'A gripping, untold story of pioneering conservation.'
#hummingbirds #kingfishers #swifts #conservation #sculpture #statues #statuesofwomen #emilywilliamson #didsbury #boothmuseum #taxidermy #birds #jondunn
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