natural history painter and engraver, was working in Philadelphia, North America, during the 1820s. He was appointed draughtsman to the United States Exploring Expedition under Charles Wilkes and sailed in the Vincennes in August 1838. During the voyage he made topographical views, possibly with the aid of the camera lucida which was listed in the ship’s manifest as part of his equipment, as well as detailed coloured drawings of natural history specimens. He remained in Sydney from November 1839 to February 1840 with the natural historians from the ship and his fellow-artist, James Agate , while the rest of the expedition carried out an exploratory survey of the Antarctic region. During this period Drayton found and drew a large jelly-fish from Lake Illawarra which was (mistakenly) considered a new species at the time.
After Couthouy’s (q.v.) falling out with Wilkes, the responsibility for the collection and description of molluscs and crustacea also fell to Drayton for the rest of the voyage. The expedition returned to the United States in June 1842 and Drayton was appointed to assist Wilkes in supervising the preparation of engravings for publication. His major contribution to the plates in Crustacea: Atlas (1855) was noted by that volume’s author and illustrator, James Dwight Dana , who complimented Drayton for his 'artistic skill and taste’. Drayton’s sketches were also the basis for illustrations in the atlases for the Zoophytes (1849), Mollusca and Shells (1857) and Herpetology (1858) volumes. His sketch of a Native Hut N.S.W. appears in the second volume of Wilkes’s Narrative .
- Writers:
- Staff Writer
- Date written:
- 1992
- Last updated:
- 2011
