Alfred Percival Maudslay (1850-1931)
Biologia Centrali-Americana or Contributions to the Knowledge of the Fauna and Flora of Mexico and Central America.
Annie Hunter, illustrator.
London: R.H. Porter and Dulau, 1889–1902.
Jay I. Kislak Collection, Rare Book and Special Collections Division, Library of Congress (17.1)
Study of Maya Ruins
A British colonial diplomat and explorer, Alfred Percival Maudslay was one of the first Europeans to study Maya ruins. He began archaeological work at the ruins of Quirigua in Guatemala and Copan in Honduras, taking photographs, copying the inscriptions, and making plaster and papier-mâché casts of the carvings, while accompanying artist Annie Hunter made detailed drawings. Between 1889 and 1902 Maudslay published the results of his six expeditions in a massive five-volume work entitled Biologia Centrali-Americana, which contained numerous photographs and drawings, as well as Maudslay’s commentary.