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DS1988-0972
A NATURAL HISTORY OF ENGLISH INSECTS.
DS1988-0972

A NATURAL HISTORY OF ENGLISH INSECTS.

Date1724
Primary Author
Engraver
Publisher 1746 - 1799
After work by
Publisher
OriginEngland, London
MediumBlack and white line engravings with period hand color
DimensionsOH: 12" x OW: 9 1/2"
Credit LineMuseum Purchase
Object number1988-282
Description2nd Edition; contains 100 hand-colored engravingsLabel TextAlthough Eleazar Albin published several books on birds and fish during his career, his most notable work is of insects. Not much is known about Albin’s early life or career, but he wrote in the preface of this volume that he was first attracted to the study of natural history by observing the beautiful colors of flowers and insects.

To supplement their income, naturalists often taught the art of botanical illustration. Between 1717 and 1719, William Byrd II of Virginia, took drawing lessons from Albin while living in London. A Natural History of English Insects contains one hundred hand-colored plates of insects on plants, each bearing a dedication to a subscriber. One of these plates is dedicated to Byrd.
Provenance1988, [sold, Christie’s, “Printed Books and Manuscripts including Modern Literature and Science,” New York, NY, June 7, 1988, Lot 3]); 1988-present, purchased by the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation (Williamsburg, VA).