Thanks to the generosity of the Benington Family, National Museums NI has acquired a series of artworks by the naturalist, artist and teacher Michael Benington (1933-2022). The artworks capture many of our local bird species as well as scenes of rural landscapes across Northern Ireland.
The donation also includes a series of wildlife diaries spanning the period from 1919 to 1976, by Michael’s father, Arnold Benington (1903-1982). Arnold was an ornithologist and wildlife broadcaster on NI radio, and played a leading role in establishing Northern Ireland’s first and only bird observatory in 1954, on the Copeland Islands.
