Nicholas Rougeux Digitally Restores The Naturalist's Library's 1,347 Hand-Colored Illustrations
Designer Nicholas Rougeux has launched a digital archive of The Naturalist's Library, a Victorian-era natural history collection by Sir William Jardine. Published in 40 volumes between 1833 and 1843, it features 1,347 hand-colored steel engravings of animals, from hummingbirds to elephants. Rougeux used high-resolution scans to restore the plates, enhancing rather than perfectly recreating them. The archive is free online, with a physical book ($295.11) and posters also available.
Key facts
- The Naturalist's Library was created by Sir William Jardine (1800–1874).
- Published between 1833 and 1843 in over 40 volumes.
- Contains 1,347 hand-colored illustrations.
- Illustrations were engraved on steel and hand-colored with watercolor.
- Divided into Ornithology (14 vols), Mammalia (13), Entomology (7), Ichthyology (6).
- Nicholas Rougeux restored the plates using high-resolution scans.
- Digital archive available at c82.net/naturalists-library.
- Physical copy of Plates of the Naturalist's Library costs $295.11.
Entities
Artists
- Sir William Jardine
- Nicholas Rougeux
- Pierre-Joseph Redouté
- Elizabeth Twining
- Daniel Berkeley Updike
Institutions
- The Naturalist's Library
- Open Culture
- C82.net