On this page

Images Of Nature series

The books are ordered by publication date with the most recent at the top of the page.

Natural History Museum publications pages

Bird related publications
Art Of Nature series
Images Of Nature series
Other nature art books
Books about the museum
Other publications

Also see:

Catalogue Of The Birds In The British Museum (1874-1898)

Catalogue Of Birds' Eggs In The British Museum (1901-12)

Natural History Museum

Women Artists

Andrea Hart

Natural History Museum

2014

"Throughout the centuries women have made significant contributions to natural history art, science and education. This stunning collection celebrates the work and lives of women artists spanning the last four centuries and is illustrated with a selection of exquisite artworks from the unrivalled collections held in the Library of the Natural History Museum. The book features specially selected artworks by women from the seventeenth century onwards. The artists share a fascination and enthusiasm for the natural world and together their work combines to cover a broad range of different techniques and subject matters.There are fine butterfly drawings by accomplished natural history illustrator Margaret Fountaine, vivid illustrations of Indian natural, cultural and social history by Olivia Tonge, and detailed bird images by Elizabeth Gould, who married highly regarded ornithologist John Gould and produced over 600 illustrations for her husband's publications. Featuring celebrated artworks and rarely-seen gems, this book serves up a visual feast of the never ending wonders of the natural world and the significant role that women have played in observing and documenting it."

The Art of India

Judith Magee

Natural History Museum

2013

"There is a vast collection of Indian natural history drawings in the Library of the Natural History Museum, London. Spanning a period of more than two hundred years, from the eighteenth to the twentieth centuries, they depict the rich variety of animals, birds and insects to be found in India and the magnificent flora of the different regions. The Art of India presents many of these beautiful images, from fine botanical and zoological illustrations through to depictions of colourful artefacts and trinkets purchased in local markets. The artworks originate from a variety of sources that include individual artists and collectors, as well as organised studies of Indian natural history in the pursuit of science, commerce and politics. They were produced by European and Indian artists who worked to advance the understanding of Indian natural history by recording, describing, classifying and naming the flora and fauna of the country."

The Art of the First Fleet

Lisa Di Tommaso

Natural History Museum

2012

"In 1788, nearly fifteen-hundred people on eleven sailing ships came ashore at Port Jackson in Australia after a gruelling eight month journey from England. This collection of vessels later became known as the First Fleet, and those who sailed in them were the community who established the first European colony in Australia. The Art of the First Fleet depicts the natural history of this extraordinary land, the people and culture of the local indigenous population and the events that marked these initial formative years. The collection, now housed in the Natural History Museum, provides an invaluable record of the wildlife and environment, people and events, as seen through the eyes of the colonists who laid the foundations for the European settlement of Australia."

Chinese Art and the Reeves Collection

Judith Magee

Natural History Museum

2011

"Chinese Art and the Reeves Collection is a selection of some of the finest examples of Chinese natural history drawings in the Natural History Museum's collections, many of which have never been published before. The book brings together a unique collection of botanical, zoological and entomological drawings depicting the natural history of China. Commissioned and collected during the early nineteenth century by John Reeves and his son, and now housed in the Natural History Museum, London, these outstanding images are important not only for their striking beauty but also for their scientific significance. Sent to China in 1812, John Reeves was a tea inspector for the East India Company and a keen amateur naturalist who commissioned hundreds of scientific drawings from local artists, which were then sent to Britain. Despite often being highly stylised, the images helped to further European knowledge of Chinese natural history during a time when access to the country was severely restricted. Through their dedicated and enthusiastic work, Reeves and his son helped pave the way for some of the great explorers and collectors that followed."