Description
Catesby's The Natural History of Carolina, Florida, and the Bahama Islands
Mark Catesby was a well-known naturalist born in England in 1682. He spent 10 years of his life in the American colonies observing the native species of plants and animals. After returning to England, he dedicated the next 20 years to producing the first English, all-inclusive study of American natural history, Natural History of Carolina, Florida, and Bahama Islands. Catesby was the first to incorporate plant life and birds on the same page. Because Catesby was too poor at the time to hire engravers, he studied under Joseph Goupy, learning to etch plates himself to save money and ensure accuracy. The result is this wonderfully detailed work featuring hundreds of American species, giving the Old World the opportunity to catch a glimpse of the World beyond. In 1749-1776, Johann Michael Seligmann, a German engraver, re-engraved the plates based on Catesby's work. These prints are from the Seligmann edition. They are on fine chain linked paper. They are folio in size and measure approximately 10 3/4" by 17" in size.