Catesby's Natural History

Mark Catesby was an eighteenth-century naturalist and artist whose work on the natural history of North America and the Caribbean still has resonance today. During the course of several perilous trips he collected specimens and made extensive observations in the field, gathering material that would eventually become The Natural History of Carolina, Florida and the Bahama Islands, featuring 220 elaborate and distinctive hand-coloured plates.

Widely appreciated in their time, Catesby’s stunning illustrations, with their striking combinations of animals and plants, together with the first-hand observations he made, catalysed interest in the natural history of Colonial America and established his work as a key reference for the scientific understanding of natural history. As an artist, Catesby meticulously recording the environment, sifting fact from fiction about the lives of the plants and animals he observed. As a collector, he introduced many living plants to Britain, thereby changing European gardens forever.

This beautiful book, which reproduces all the plates, shows how Catesby’s practical field experience shaped his work in all areas. Whether through the now-extinct species he recorded or the cultural changes he witnessed, his research continues to be relevant, demonstrating the vulnerability and fragility of the natural world.

Author Biography

Stephen A. Harris is Druce Curator of Oxford University Herbaria.