A black-headed Nun pigeon: one of three breed examples depicted in the rare 'Illustrated Book of Pigeons with Standards for Judging' (also known as 'Cassell's Pigeon Book'), published in 1876 and illustrated with 50 chromolithograph plates by British artist Joseph W Ludlow (1840-1916). Nun pigeons, bred for showing, have mainly white bodies and coloured heads and are called Nuns or Dutch Shells from the raised, hood-like feathers on the backs of their heads and necks.
This Black Nun or Dutch Shell pigeon, named after the raised, hood-shaped feathers covering the back of its neck and head, was one of three examples of the breed depicted by British artist Joseph Williamson Ludlow for a rare volume, 'The Illustrated Book of Pigeons with Standards for Judging', first published in 1876. This detail of the chromolithograph shows a black-headed Nun pigeon in a coop or loft. The full page print was one of 50 artworks painted by Ludlow for the book, which was published by Cassell, Petter and Galpin and is often known as 'Cassell's Pigeon Book'. It was written by Robert Fulton and edited by Lewis Wright. Nuns or Dutch Shells derive from flying tumbler pigeons, but have been selectively bred over many years for showing. Their bodies are mostly white, with only the head, tail and flight feathers showing any colour. The colour of the head determines the name of the Nun variety. Joseph W Ludlow (1840-1916) was an ornithological artist who specialised in portraying domestic birds. He illustrated several other books on poultry and pigeons in the natural history series produced by Cassell. The Illustrated Book of Pigeons, which ran to nearly 400 pages, provided pigeon fanciers with a comprehensive guide to breeding and raising fancy and ornamental birds. It sold well over several editions and is still regarded as a useful reference work. However, complete examples in good condition with all of the pages and colour plates intact are now very rare.
Size: 7089px × 4727px
Location: 'The Illustrated Book of Pigeons' by Robert Fulton, illustrated by Joseph Williamson Ludlow (1876)
Photo credit: © Terence Kerr / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No
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