Bob Hines works on a painting of Mattamuskeet NWR Photo Gallery

January 2009

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Robert "Bob" Hines (1912 - 1994) was the only national wildlife artist the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has ever employed. In his agency career (1948-1981), Hines painted hundreds of wall murals, portraits, and illustrations for brochures and other publications in a style that emphasized realism, scientific accuracy, and a species’ context within its preferred habitat. Hines began his career in Ohio state government and was hired in the late 1940's by Service editor Rachel Carson to perform similar duties nationally. Hines collaborated with Carson on illustrations for her 1955 book, “The Edge of the Sea” – the result of many tide pool excursions stretching from Florida to Maine with the famed author. Hines illustrated the 1946-47 Federal Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp with a pen-and-ink and wash drawing of redhead ducks; he was in charge of the famed Federal “Duck Stamp” design contest until his retirement. Here, Hines puts the finishing touches on a wall-sized depiction of North Carolina’s Mattamuskeet National Wildlife Refuge.