A VICTORIAN DISPLAY WALL CASE WITH TAXIDERMY HUMMINGBIRDS (TROCHILIDAE) COLLECTED BY SIR FRANCIS CLARE FORD (1828-1899)

England, 19th century

 

The vibrantly coloured birds perched on branches or flying, the background painted resembling an evening or morning sky, labelled Collected by Sir Francis Clare Ford. G.C.B.

H. 33 x W. 22 cm

Note:
 

Sir Francis Clare Ford GCB GCMG PC (4 June 1828 – 31 January 1899) was an English diplomat from London.

Ford was born at was born at 32 Upper Brook Street, the son of writer Richard Ford and his wife, Harriet. He has commissioned a lieutenant in the 4th Light Dragoons. However, he left the army in 1851, entered the diplomatic service, and became Secretary of Legation at Washington, D.C., where he was acting chargé d'affaires in 1867–1868. In 1871 he was appointed Secretary of Embassy at St Petersburg and in 1872 was transferred to Vienna. He represented the British government in 1875–77 at Halifax before the Halifax Fisheries Commission, by a decision of which $5,500,000 was awarded to Great Britain for superior advantages obtained by the United States in the Washington fisheries treaty of 1871. In 1878–1879 he was Minister to the Argentine Republic and during a portion of the time to Uruguay also.