Our Catesby Discoveries Collection showcases the first comprehensive documentation of the wildlife and flora of the Americas. When Mark Catesby (1682 – 1749) published his landmark work, The Natural History of Carolina, Florida and the Bahama Islands (1731 – 1743), it was the first comprehensive study and illustration of the flora and fauna of the English colonies in the New World. It was also the first work of natural history art to place animals in the context and setting of the plants of their natural habitats. This artistic breakthrough is believed to have influenced Audubon’s great works a century later.

The Royal Society and its President, Sir Isaac Newton, invited Catesby in 1720 “to Observe the Rarities of the Country for the uses and purposes of the Society”. In 1722, Catesby set sail for Charleston, South Carolina and produced hundreds of drawings and watercolors before returning to London four years later.

To reduce the cost of publication, Catesby himself designed, engraved and colored the plates. Each of our Perfect Recreations™ is made from a pristine First Edition of The Natural History hand colored by Catesby and purchased in the original syndication by Charles Cavendish of the Royal Society and bequeathed to his more famous scientist son, Henry.

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Framing your Catesby