February 6, 2018
“MARTHA, THE LAST PASSENGER PIGEON”
By John A. Ruthven
Once the most numerous bird in the U.S., the last passenger pigeon died in 1914 despite the best efforts of the Cincinnati Nature Center to keep the species alive. 10 years later Cincinnati wildlife artist and conservationist John Ruthven was born and before long he had been dubbed the 20th century Audubon. To celebrate Cincinnati’s ongoing commitment to wildlife preservation and commemorate the 100th anniversary of Martha’s death Ruthven worked with an ArtWorks Cincinnati team of artists and youth apprentices led by Tim Parsley to create this large-scale reproduction of his 40-year-old work depicting Martha and her flock soaring over the historic Bird Run at the Cincinnati Zoo.