Geo. P. (George Pickering) Burnham

George Pickering Burnham (1814–1902), often published as Geo. P. Burnham, was an American author remembered chiefly for his books on poultry and fancy breeds. Library and bibliographic records connect him with a long run of practical and popular works, including The History of the Hen Fever, The China Fowl, Diseases of Domestic Poultry, Secrets in Fowl Breeding, and Talks and Walks about the Poultry Yards.

He was not limited to agricultural subjects. Records for his publications also show titles such as Memoirs of the United States Secret Service and American Counterfeits; How Detected, and How Avoided, suggesting a writer with unusually broad interests and a taste for vivid, useful nonfiction.

Burnham’s surviving bibliography gives the picture of a busy 19th-century specialist author: practical, observant, and willing to write for both enthusiasts and general readers. A suitable verified portrait was not clearly available from the pages I could confirm.