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Engraved botanical plate of a bromelia with spiny leaves, a tall flowering spike, roots, and small floral detail sketches.

Reliquiæ Houstounianæ - Plate 16

From: Reliquiæ Houstounianæ, 1794

Hand-coloured plate of a large elongated freshwater mussel shell with smaller numbered shells around it, from an 1831 British

A manual of the land and fresh-water shells of the British Islands - Plate (page 10)

From: A manual of the land and fresh-water shells of the British Islands, 1831

Engraved plan of a circular formal garden with a central fountain, a manor house above, and figures in the foreground.

Systema horti-culturæ, or, The art of gardening - Plate (page 36)

From: Systema horti-culturæ, or, The art of gardening, 1688

Hand-colored engraved plate showing two bird wings with numbered flight feathers and lettered reference points, labeled Tabul

Iacobi Christiani Schaefferi S.S. theologiae et philosophiae doctoris ... Elementa ornitho - Plate III

From: Iacobi Christiani Schaefferi S.S. theologiae et philosophiae doctoris ... Elementa ornitho, 1779

Hand-colored 1779 plate of eight numbered blue and grey butterflies with orange wing edges, labeled Tab. 1.

Io. Andr. Benigni Bergstraesseri, philosophiae professoris ordinarii ... Icones papilionum - Plate 1

From: Io. Andr. Benigni Bergstraesseri, philosophiae professoris ordinarii ... Icones papilionum, 1779

Hand-colored botanical plate of a pistachio tree branch with green leaves, clustered fruit, and numbered detail insets.

The North American sylva; or A description of the forest trees of the United States, Canad - Plate 103

Pancrace Bessa & Pierre Joseph Redouté, 1853

Engraved plate of a cock and hen blackbird on branches with a speckled egg, labeled Black-Bird Cock Hen and Egg.

A natural history of English song-birds - Plate 1

From: A natural history of English song-birds, 1737

Hand-colored 1805 plate of beetles arranged around a sprig of leafy plant, with Latin species names below.

An epitome of the natural history of the insects of New Holland, New Zealand, New Guinea, - Plate 2

From: An epitome of the natural history of the insects of New Holland, New Zealand, New Guinea, 1805

Engraved botanical plate of Cassia americana with leaves, long seed pods and detached pod cross-sections.

Reliquiæ Houstounianæ - Plate 17

From: Reliquiæ Houstounianæ, 1794

Hand-colored botanical plate of a hornbeam branch with serrated leaves, catkin clusters, and nut details.

The North American sylva; or A description of the forest trees of the United States, Canad - Plate 108

Pancrace Bessa & Pierre Joseph Redouté, 1853

Engraved plate of a male and female starling with an egg, labeled Starling, Cock, Hen, and Egg.

A natural history of English song-birds - Plate 3

From: A natural history of English song-birds, 1737

Plate of eight longhorn beetles with extended antennae and legs, dark bodies marked yellow, labeled with Latin names in scrip

An epitome of the natural history of the insects of New Holland, New Zealand, New Guinea, - Plate 6

From: An epitome of the natural history of the insects of New Holland, New Zealand, New Guinea, 1805

Hand-colored plate of jellyfish, medusae and magnified anatomical details labeled with species names.

A monograph of the British naked-eyed Medusæ - Plate III

From: A monograph of the British naked-eyed Medusæ, 1848

Hand-colored engraved plate showing bird heads with long beaks and bird feet in six numbered figures.

Iacobi Christiani Schaefferi S.S. theologiae et philosophiae doctoris ... Elementa ornitho - Plate XV

From: Iacobi Christiani Schaefferi S.S. theologiae et philosophiae doctoris ... Elementa ornitho, 1779

Hand-colored plate of eight numbered blue and grey butterflies with open and folded wings, from an 1779 entomological book.

Io. Andr. Benigni Bergstraesseri, philosophiae professoris ordinarii ... Icones papilionum - Plate 3

From: Io. Andr. Benigni Bergstraesseri, philosophiae professoris ordinarii ... Icones papilionum, 1779

Hand-coloured plate of jellyfish medusae in multiple views, with pale blue, yellow and pink tints and labelled figures.

A monograph of the British naked-eyed Medusæ - Plate IV

From: A monograph of the British naked-eyed Medusæ, 1848

Hand-colored botanical plate of large tupelo leaves, a dark fruit on a red stalk, and a ribbed seed.

The North American sylva; or A description of the forest trees of the United States, Canad - Plate 112

Pancrace Bessa & Pierre Joseph Redouté, 1853

Hand-coloured 1805 plate of Hemiptera insects, including planthoppers and cicadas, arranged around a leafy twig.

An epitome of the natural history of the insects of New Holland, New Zealand, New Guinea, - Plate 9

From: An epitome of the natural history of the insects of New Holland, New Zealand, New Guinea, 1805

Engraved plate of numbered European birds including cuckoos, hoopoes and bee-eaters, perched on branches and ground.

Deutschlands Fauna, oder, Praktisch-gemeinnützige Naturgeschichte der Thiere des Inlandes - Plate XXIII

From: Deutschlands Fauna, oder, Praktisch-gemeinnützige Naturgeschichte der Thiere des Inlandes, 1839

Plate of hand-drawn jellyfish and medusae with labeled anatomical details, tentacles and bell sections in pale ink.

A monograph of the British naked-eyed Medusæ - Plate V

From: A monograph of the British naked-eyed Medusæ, 1848

Hand-colored botanical plate of a sweet leaf branch with large green leaves, yellow flower clusters, and a blue fruit detail.

The North American sylva; or A description of the forest trees of the United States, Canad - Plate 117

Pancrace Bessa & Pierre Joseph Redouté, 1853

Hand-colored engraving of a long-legged wading bird with yellow bill and crest, labeled Tabula XXI, with a small twig above.

Iacobi Christiani Schaefferi S.S. theologiae et philosophiae doctoris ... Elementa ornitho - Plate XXI

From: Iacobi Christiani Schaefferi S.S. theologiae et philosophiae doctoris ... Elementa ornitho, 1779

Hand-colored 1779 plate of eight numbered butterflies in blue, brown and grey tones, labeled Tab. 4.

Io. Andr. Benigni Bergstraesseri, philosophiae professoris ordinarii ... Icones papilionum - Plate 4

From: Io. Andr. Benigni Bergstraesseri, philosophiae professoris ordinarii ... Icones papilionum, 1779

Engraved botanical plate of a lobed-leaf plant with yellow daisy-like flower heads, labeled plate 21.

Reliquiæ Houstounianæ - Plate 21

From: Reliquiæ Houstounianæ, 1794

Hand-coloured plate of two butterflies, Papilio Harmonia and Papilio Cresida, beside pink flowers and a leafy sprig.

An epitome of the natural history of the insects of New Holland, New Zealand, New Guinea, - Plate 12

From: An epitome of the natural history of the insects of New Holland, New Zealand, New Guinea, 1805

Hand-colored botanical plate of a black ash branch with pinnate leaves and hanging winged seeds.

The North American sylva; or A description of the forest trees of the United States, Canad - Plate 122

Pancrace Bessa & Pierre Joseph Redouté, 1853

Hand-painted plate of eight colourful Australian beetles in two rows, each labelled with a species name and location.

Two hand-painted volumes of Coleoptera illustrated by Francis du Boulay - Plate (page 15)

From: Two hand-painted volumes of Coleoptera illustrated by Francis du Boulay, 1880

Hand-coloured 1779 bird plate showing a finch with a thick beak, brown head and blue wings, with a seed sketch beside it.

Iacobi Christiani Schaefferi S.S. theologiae et philosophiae doctoris ... Elementa ornitho - Plate XXVII

From: Iacobi Christiani Schaefferi S.S. theologiae et philosophiae doctoris ... Elementa ornitho, 1779

Botanical plate of white elm showing a leafy branch, a cluster of flowers, and a sprig of winged seeds on cream paper.

The North American sylva; or A description of the forest trees of the United States, Canad - Plate 126

Pancrace Bessa & Pierre Joseph Redouté, 1853

Hand-colored 1805 plate of two black and yellow swallowtail butterflies, labeled Papilio Antinous, with green leaves and tend

An epitome of the natural history of the insects of New Holland, New Zealand, New Guinea, - Plate 16

From: An epitome of the natural history of the insects of New Holland, New Zealand, New Guinea, 1805

About this museum

The Biodiversity Heritage Library is a consortium of natural history and botanical libraries that digitises historical literature on life on Earth. Its scans include the plates of botanical, zoological and ornithological books, many hand-coloured, from the sixteenth to the early twentieth century. Artnap holds 1,473 works from the Biodiversity Heritage Library. The best-represented artists here are From: Histoire naturelle des mammifères, and cetaceous animals From: The natural history of quadrupeds, From: Atlas ichthyologique des Indes orientales néêrlandaises and From: Naturgeschichte und Abbildungen der Säugethiere. Each artwork page shows the museum's record, the date and the licence statement.

Questions

Can I use these images?

Yes. The works are in the public domain or released by their museums for open use, so you can use them in personal and commercial projects. Each artwork page shows the museum and its licence statement.

Are these all the works at the Biodiversity Heritage Library?

No. These are the works that the Biodiversity Heritage Library has published as public domain images and that Artnap holds; the museum's own collection is larger.

How large are the images?

Most are about 2,500 pixels on the long side, or the museum's own size when its file is smaller. Artnap Pro members can also download the museum's full-resolution master file where one exists.

Biodiversity Heritage Library

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About this museum

Questions

Can I use these images?

Are these all the works at the Biodiversity Heritage Library?

How large are the images?