J.W.Ludlow
To date I have been unable to find any biographical details of who J.W. Ludlow was, or where he hailed from, although it is almost certain that he was English. He was arguably the best artist to paint for Blakston & Swaysland's great volume on canaries in 1880.
Three Norwich-Type Cinnamon Canaries by Ludlow
 This superb chromo-lithograph of three cinnamon canaries was engraved by Ludlow around 1880 in England, for the outstanding book on canaries: "Canaries, British and Foreign Birds" by Blakston and Swaysland. 

This was at a period when Cinnamons had long been a Variety in their own right - long before the Border or the Yorkshire came into being. Ludlow was arguably one of the best commercial bird-artists of his day, ranking alongside A.F. Lydon. 

So far I have been unable to find any biographical details about Ludlow. Chromolithography was perfected in America by Louis Prang in the 1840s and its use faded by the early 1900s.
Three Norwich Cinnamon Canaries by Ludlow
 
Ludlow also designed and painted this superb chromolithograph of three Lizard Canaries around 1880. Chromoliths have far more visual impact than modern half-tone illustrations, because they are made up of solid, unbroken, blocks of colour, laid one one top of the other in perfect registration. 

The technique centred on the fact that grease based paints either attract or repel inks depending on how they are used. The artist had to paint each colour on a separate block of stone -- and the paper was pressed to each stone in succession; time being allowed for it to dry between each printing. 

As such, the technique required enormous skill from the artist and from the printer. 

This labourious, but beautiful, process was gradually eclipsed by rotary presses using half-tones from around 1900.
Gold Cap and Silver Cap Lizard Canaries by Ludlow
Lizard Canaries - 1880
 
 
Lancashires: Coppy and Plainhead by Ludlow
 The Lancashire coppy was the largest canary bred in the British Isles, being nine inches or more in length. Ludlow recorded these exhibition-birds not long before the decline and virtual extinction of the breed after W.W.I

Note the seed-head of Greater Plantain, or 'Rat's Tail' woven into the cage bars in the top centre, for the birds to nibble during the show. From the pink ticket on the cage bars at left, this pair won First Prize. Apparently in these days birds were exhibited as a pair.
Lancashires: Coppy and Plainhead by Ludlow
 

 
Ludlow II