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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) .

About this item

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

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

How to cite this page:

Jock Phillips. 'Kiwi', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, updated 25-Sep-11
URL: http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/kiwi/4/2