In the early 20th century New York’s Forest, Fish and Game Commission—a predecessor of today’s Department of Environmental Conservation—issued an annual report on the condition of the state’s ecology, fish and wildlife. The findings detail conservation issues, the effects of forest fires, natural history, the health of fish populations and the amount of game killed in a given year. Throughout the facts and figures, however, are gorgeous illustrations of fish native to the region, most of which are attributed to William B. Gillette, a beloved New York-based illustrator, who lived from 1864 to 1937.
Below we’ve featured 29 illustrations of fish from the reports.
Images made available by the Internet Archive.