Copper engravings completed by a Dutch engraver Michael Burghers for Robert Plots’, ‘The Natural History of Staffordshire’.
Plot (1640-1696) was an Oxford scholar and the first curator of the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford.
He was influential in moving the traditional method of county studies to a new direction with his emphasis on natural history.
His most influential books were,’The Natural History of Oxfordshire, being an essay towards the Natural History of England’ published in 1677 and ‘The Natural History of Staffordshire’ published in 1686.
A Rare Set of Early 18th Century English Copper Engravings of Grand English Estates
By Jan Kip
1720
60 x 70cm
Johannes “Jan” Kip (1652/53, Amsterdam – 1722, Westminster) was a Dutch draftsman, engraver and print dealer. Together with Leonard Knyff, he made a speciality of engraved views of English country houses.
Elizabeth Blackwell (nee Blachrie) was among the first women to achieve fame as a botanical illustrator. She was born in Aberdeen in about 1700, but moved to London after she married. She undertook an ambitious project to raise money to pay her husband’s debts and release him from debtors’ prison.
Her project was a book called ‘A Curious Herbal’.
She learned that physicians required a reference book which documented the medicinal qualities of plants and herbs. In order to develop the publication she examined and drew specimens of plants available in the Chelsea Physic Garden. Sir Hans Sloane provided financial support to publish ‘A Curious Herbal’.
Elizabeth Blackwell is notable for being one of the first botanical artists to personally etch and engrave her own designs. This saved the expense of hiring a professional engraver. In total, the enterprise took Blackwell six full years to complete and in the end she was able to release her husband from prison. ‘A Curious Herbal’ was published between 1737 and 1739.
The book contained the first illustrations of many odd-looking, unknown plants from the New World.
Elizabeth Blackwell (nee Blachrie) was among the first women to achieve fame as a botanical illustrator. She was born in Aberdeen in about 1700, but moved to London after she married. She undertook an ambitious project to raise money to pay her husband’s debts and release him from debtors’ prison.
From the first large work on fishes in England, marking a new era in ichthyology that clearly described and classified fishes according to nature and based on their characteristics drawn only from their structure.
From the first large work on fishes in England, marking a new era in ichthyology that clearly described and classified fishes according to nature and based on their characteristics drawn only from their structure.
Yet to be professionally photgraphed, these are iPhone photos.
Elizabeth Blackwell (nee Blachrie) was among the first women to achieve fame as a botanical illustrator. She was born in Aberdeen in about 1700, but moved to London after she married. She undertook an ambitious project to raise money to pay her husband’s debts and release him from debtors’ prison.
