The Life and Work of G.V. Hudson: New Zealand Naturalist Biography by George Gibbs | Nature Exploration & Scientific Legacy

The biography of one of New Zealand’s greatest naturalist-artists, G. V.Hudson. George Hudson, 1867-1946, was one of New Zealand’s pioneer naturalists, who devoted his life to collecting and describing the New Zealand insect fauna. He amassed what is probably the largest collection of New Zealand insects, now housed at Te Papa. Hudson also wrote seven books on insect fauna between 1898 and 1946, each illustrated in colour with immaculate paintings of the specimens, a total of over 3100 paintings, mainly focused on months and butterflies.

An Exquisite Legacy is a biography of Hudson, written by his grandson Dr George Gibbs, himself a prominent entomologist. Gibbs outlines the life of this naturalist and artist, whose dedication and output was truly remarkable.