Book of Natural History Containing a Description of Animals and Birds [Hand-Colored Plates] [Victorian Scientific Illustration]

Morris, F. O. (1810-1893)

Published by Groombridge and Sons, London, 1852

About this Item

A VICTORIAN CABINET OF NATURAL WONDER IN HAND-COLORED LITHOGRAPHY. A richly illustrated Victorian natural history compendium combining zoology, ornithology, and scientific illustration in a compact and visually engaging format. Francis Orpen Morris's 'Book of Natural History' reflects the nineteenth century's fascination with cataloging the natural world while making scientific knowledge accessible to a broad reading public. Illustrated with 160 hand-colored lithographic plates depicting mammals, birds, and exotic species from around the globe, the volume captures the intersection of science, decorative art, and popular education during the high Victorian period. Morris's accessible prose and visually driven presentation helped shape the era's enthusiasm for natural history collecting and domestic scientific study. PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Rebound in gilt-ruled full goatskin with finely tooled spine, gilt lettering, and marbled endpapers. Illustrated with 160 hand-colored lithographic plates. 12mo, 7.5 inches tall; [ii], 2-318 pages. CONDITION: Occasional offsetting from the plates. The first plate depicting the Jaguar is trimmed but without loss to the image. Several plates show minor perimeter staining and edgewear consistent with age and use. Some blank versos bear penciled plate numbering at the upper corner. An attractive and solidly preserved Victorian natural history volume. HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE - Francis Orpen Morris became one of the best-known natural history writers of Victorian Britain through works such as 'A History of British Birds.' He also played an early role in bird-protection advocacy through opposition to the plume trade and participation in the Plumage League. The publication belongs to the broader Victorian movement toward scientific popularization, where natural history functioned simultaneously as science, entertainment, moral education, and decorative culture. Morris's rejection of Darwinian evolution further situates the work within the intellectual debates surrounding science and religion in mid-nineteenth-century Britain. This volume reflects the extraordinary expansion of popular scientific publishing during the Victorian era, when advances in color printing and lithography transformed natural history into one of the century's most visually celebrated subjects. Morris presents animals and birds not merely as scientific specimens but as objects of curiosity, beauty, and moral instruction for the educated household. The hand-colored plates remain the visual center of the work, combining decorative appeal with documentary purpose. Exotic mammals, predatory birds, domestic species, and zoological curiosities are rendered in vivid color, illustrating the Victorian appetite for both classification and spectacle. Morris occupied an important position within the tradition of the Victorian 'parson naturalist,' writers who blended scientific observation with religious and moral reflection. His work reached an unusually broad audience due to its accessibility and visual richness, helping popularize ornithology and wildlife appreciation among middle-class readers. The book also emerges from one of the most important collaborations in nineteenth-century British color printing. Morris worked closely with the printer Benjamin Fawcett and the illustrator Alexander Francis Lydon, whose innovations in color woodblock and lithographic processes helped redefine illustrated natural history publishing in Britain. SUBJECTS: Victorian Natural History, Hand-Colored Lithographs, Scientific Illustration, Ornithology, Zoology, Francis Orpen Morris, Wildlife Conservation, Victorian Science, Benjamin Fawcett, Alexander Francis Lydon, Natural History, Scientific Illustration, Victorian Literature, Ornithology.

Seller Inventory # 20236

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Book of Natural History Containing a Description of Animals and Birds [Hand-Colored Plates] [Victorian Scientific Illustration]
• Publisher: Groombridge and Sons, London
• Publication Date: 1852
• Edition: First Edition, First Printing.
• Condition: Near Fine
• Dust Jacket Condition: No Dust Jacket, As Issued
• Weight: 6 pounds
• Seller catalogs:
  • NATURAL HISTORY
  • LITERATURE [Many Sub-Catagories]
  • TRAVEL, EXPLORATION & GEOGRAPHY