Natural History

Scarlet Mite (Autumnal Acarus) by Shaw & Nodder – 1790

Original copper engraved and hand coloured this engraving of the Scarlet Mite (Autumnal Acarus) was published on 1st September 1790 by Shaw & Nodder. The rather scary little guy likes apples and pears and in real life is rather tiny.

George Shaw was in charge of the Natural History Department at the British Museum. Nodder was a natural history artist and worked for Banks on his Florilegium.

Very good condition with a great plate impression …23cm by 14cm … framed nicely with external frame dimensions 29cm by c6cm …. a good one for the eclectic study.

Price $90.00 unframed or $220.00 framed in Voyager Natural History style ..

Unusual engraving from 1790 of the aptly named Scarlet Mite

$90.00

Updating cart…

Slow-paced Dwarf Lemur – by Shaw & Nodder -1790

An original copper engraved hand coloured engraving of the Slow-paced Lemur from Madagascar published in London in 1790 by Shaw & Nodder.

The Madagascan dwarf lemur …. bigger than the mouse lemur but still only 20cm long … and rather skinny when at full stretch … Surely one of the cutest of all mammals.

George Shaw was in charge of the Natural History Department at the British Museum. Nodder was a natural history artist and worked for Banks on his Florilegium.

Price $90.00 unframed or $190.00 farmed in Voyager Natural History style. Enquire if you wish.

Slow – paced Lemur – we love him!

$90.00

Updating cart…

South American Aguti and Paca – 1820

An original hand coloured engraving using the stipple technique published as part of the “Dictionniare des Sciences Naturelles” by Dumont de Saint-Croix published in Paris c1820’s. Engraved by Stranhi after an image by Pretre.

At the time the Aguti (Agouti) and Paca were thought to be of the same family group … not so now .. they have different toe arrangements etc.

They are however, both herbivorous rodents and among the largest in the world.

The Paca can achieve a weight of 14kg on a good diet and is the more attractive with its sides patterned with spots and stripes. There are two distinct types … the lowland variety cab be found all the way from Northern Argentina to Mexico. A smaller Paca lives in the northern Andes and the Paramo grasslands.

The Agouti is generally a smaller animal weighing in around 4 kgs. They are pretty shy compared with the Paca and pretty scared of humanoids. They prevail over much of the middle and north of South America and in the West Indies.

Price $160.00 framed in Voyager Natural History style ….

South American Rodents – rather cute – and large

$160.00

Updating cart…

Australian Natural History Trade Cards

A group of five natural history trade cards all from different sources two of which are circa 100 year old (Wills and Liebig).

Bright and clean the largest being Liebig’s Black Cockatoo which is 116mm by 70mm.

Two cards represents the Tasmanian Devil and the narrative on both sadly reflects an earlier period when their numbers were reduced as a result on attacks on poultry and sheep. The Platypus looks like the larger Tasmanian type and is curiously described as a Duckbill or Platypus. The Bennett’s Wallaby is shown feeding and carrying a joey.

Nice mixed group – Australian wildlife theme

$50.00

Updating cart…

Javan Parrakeet – Fawcett and Greene – 1884

Original wood cut hand finished engraving of the multicoloured Bluebonnet Parrot from “Parrots in Captivity”, published in London 1884. Very good condition … bright clean colours not a mark on the paper.

The Javan Parakeet also known as the Red or Pink Breasted or Moustached Parakeet. Sadly, so beautiful that it is heavily traded on the bird black market still .. when will people learn that their rightful place is in their natural habitat not a cage.

Greene’s delightful work comprising wood-engraved plates printed by Benjamin Fawcett after drawings by A.F. Lydon. The prints are hand finished with delicate highlighting in gum arabic to accentuate the bright colouring.

Benjamin Fawcett was one of the great colour printers of the 19th century. He pioneered a system of wood block engraving from multiple blocks that resulted in vivid finely coloured works. Fawcett had an association of some 50 years with Francis Orpen Morris to produce many beautiful works on birds. The engravings are the finest illustrations of parrots from the period.

Price matted in cream textured mat with French gilt line $140.00

A Javan Beauty

$140.00

Updating cart…

Two-Horned Black Rhino – Shaw and Nodder – 1800

The now critically endangered African Black Rhino. Between 1960 and 1995 the population of the species dropped 98% to just 2,500. Since then it has recovered but only to an estimated 5,000. Recently made the news when seven black rhino’s died in an attempt to resettle them from Nairobi to Tsauo East National Park … due two human negligence .. one anonymous source said they given salt water to drink!

Copper engraved and hand coloured by Shaw & Nodder and published in London in 1800 (date engraved in the plate). Shaw was in charge of the Natural History Department at the British Museum. Nodder was an artist who worked for Banks on his Florilegium.

Price unframed $80.00 or $180.00 framed in Voyager Natural History style in black cored cream mat within gilt frame. Ready to hang in your study. Great finished gift for the naturally caring.

Critically endangered Rhino – let’s save him!

$80.00

Updating cart…

Scarlet Mite (Autumnal Acarus) by Shaw & Nodder – 1790

Slow-paced Dwarf Lemur – by Shaw & Nodder -1790

South American Aguti and Paca – 1820

Australian Natural History Trade Cards

Javan Parrakeet – Fawcett and Greene – 1884

Two-Horned Black Rhino – Shaw and Nodder – 1800

Product Categories