Sprague's Natural History

The images below are watercolour sketches by Isaac Sprague from the 1840s.
They have all been background spot-cleaned to varying extents.

Kingfisher

"A single kingfisher is depicted perched on a bare branch"

Connecticut Warbler

"The single bird is depicted perched on a flowering branch of witch hazel"

Chipmunk

"The chipmunk is perched on an ear of corn. 

The date is written in graphite below the chipmunk’s tail."

Prunus serotina

"A branch of the black cherry tree is depicted with seven leaves in autumn color"

Chipping Sparrow

"The sparrow is perched on a flowering branch which also holds a nest 

containing four blue-green eggs. The background is a deep brown."

American Goldfinch

"The goldfinch is perched on a stalk of chicory"

Screech Owl - Red Owl

"A single owl is depicted perched on a branch 

holding a rodent with the claws of its right foot"

Six Bird's Eggs

Witherod

"Two details of witherod (Viburnum cassinoides), a 

shrub also known as wild raisin. One detail of the 

leaves and flower, another of the leaves and fruit."

Snow Bunting

"Two snow buntings are depicted, one on the ground and another in flight"

Pine Grosbeak

"A male and female grosbeak are depicted on pine bough"

Golden Winged Woodpecker

"A single bird is shown perched on a bare branch.

'Golden winged woodpecker' and the date are inscribed

in graphite at the bottom of the sheet below the image.

The bird depicted is now known as the yellow-shafted flicker"

Black Throated Green Warbler

"A single male bird is depicted on a branch of red maple with seeds"

Cat Bird

"A single bird is depicted perched on a branch. 

Virginia creeper in fall color is twisted around the branch"

Cedar Waxwing

"The cedar waxwing is depicted perched on a branch 

of chokecherry. There are no notations on the sheet"

"Isaac Sprague (1811–1895) was born in Hingham, Massachusetts, and apprenticed with his uncle as a carriage painter. He was a self-taught landscape, botanical and ornithological painter. Sprague served as one of the assistants to John James Audubon on an ornithological expedition up the Missouri River (1843), taking measurements and making sketches. His diary of this expedition is in the Boston Athenæum." [source]

"The Athenæum is fortunate to have seventy-four of Sprague’s watercolor paintings of birds, drawn between 1839 and 1842." [source]

• The 'Art of Isaac Sprague' collection is online at the Boston Athenæum website. [browse all images] [alternative collection landing page]
• The Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation has a page of biography/resources in relation to Isaac Sprague.
• The Hunt Institute (Carnegie Mellon University) also has a collection of thumbnail images of Sprague's meticulous botanical line sketches in pencil, lithographic and engraved formats.