Life Sciences Commons^™

Hand-Colored Zoological Illustrations For “All Classes” Of British Society: The Publishing History Of The Naturalist’S Library, 1833-1843, Sarah Finn

Theses and Dissertations

Natural history grew in popularity in Britain among the middle class during the nineteenth century in large part due to the proliferation of cheap books and periodicals that featured illustrations of plants and animals. Prior to this period, books that featured hand-colored plates were considered a luxury that only the very wealthy could afford. Some nineteenth century naturalists like John James Audubon, continued to exclusively produce expensive folio books marketed to the upper class, but many others saw an opportunity to make more money by appealing to a popular audience by creating smaller works sold at a fraction of the …