Birding Field Guides: Photographs or Drawings

When Roger Tory Peterson was working on his first field guide in the 1930’s, it wasn’t possible to illustrate it with photographs. With the advancements in photography, should field guides be illustrated with paintings or photos? Kenn Kaufman discusses this ongoing debate and speculates how Peterson would have adapted.

“In Fine Feather: Birds, Art & Science,” is on view at the Toledo Museum of Art April 25-July 6, 2014 and features works by noted bird artists and illustrators including Peterson, John James Audubon, Alexander Wilson and John Gould.