Ocean Perch, Helicolenus percoides

This hand-coloured lithograph by Arthur Bartholomew and Thersea Poole was commissioned by Sir Frederick McCoy, Director of Museum Victoria as part of his zoological research. It forms part of the much larger Prodromus Collection. Many of the original illustrations in the collection informed the production of the two-volume work "The Prodromus of the Zoology of Victoria" which was Museum Victoria's first major publication beginning in 1878. Theressa Poole was was only commissed for a short time during the production of the Prodromus to hand-colour 1000 copies of this plate. Although an initial sum of £10 per 1000 plates was agreed upon with Frederick McCoy, the complexity of the task eventually led to a substantial increase to £10 per 100, 'a higher price than hither to paid.' McCoy sent the plates, in packages of 100, via the Sandridge rail to Poole's Williamstown home. As she worked from Bartholomew's original colour illustration, McCoy's regular letters guided quality control, keeping her away from artistic flourishes and within the scientific register: 'yellow being much too obtrusive ; strong on the sides of several; the scarlet on edge of front dorsal fin is rather too thick and would be better if softened a little in the others, and the black spots are occasionally rather too large ; heavy.'Poole completed the 1000 plates in November 1861. Although McCoy did not employ her again, she offered 'to perpetuate Professor McCoy's features in wax', but McCoy directed his secretary to respond that 'his modesty compels him to decline with many thanks to inflict his appearance on posterity.'