It was a pretty safe bet that a book all about choosing a good milk cow would have at least one great milk cow drawing. There were several. But, this vintage milk cow drawing is my favorite. She has such a beautiful, sweet face.
The book How To Choose a Good Milk Cow was published in 1857. It was written by a veterinarian professor named Jean Henri Magni (1804-1885). No illustrator was credited. The book was published by Blackie and Sons from Glasgow – a name that often comes up with books containing wonderful illustrations.
The author identified this pretty cow as being a Dutch breed and a great example of a good milk cow. It looks like a pencil sketch and uses shades of grey to create the depth of colors in her coat. Hopefully, you’ll find a great new use for this lovely vintage milk cow drawing.
Luckily, I found a nice, large scan of this drawing. It’s too big to show all of it here. To access the full-sized version, just click on the image below.
This image is copyright free and in the public domain anywhere that extends copyrights 70 years after death or at least 120 years after publication when the original illustrator is unknown.
