Story: Kiwi

Early European engraving

Early European engraving

The first illustration of a kiwi by a European appeared in 1813 in The naturalist’s miscellany, a periodical with George Shaw as author and members of the Nodder family as publishers. The illustration, by Richard Nodder, was based on a dried skin that had arrived in England the previous year. The result was a fanciful image with short legs and the upright stance of a penguin. This engraving is a copy of that image, and was published in Rene Primever Lesson’s Voyage autour du monde entrepris par ordre du gouvernement sur la corvette la Coquille (1838–39) .

Using this item

Alexander Turnbull Library
Reference: PUBL-0156-2-546

Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

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How to cite this page:

Jock Phillips, 'Kiwi - Kiwi and people: early history', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/artwork/10186/early-european-engraving (accessed 19 March 2024)

Story by Jock Phillips, published 24 Sep 2007, reviewed & revised 15 May 2015