A presentation given at the Smithsonian Associates event entitled: "Science as Art: The Beauty of Botanical Illustration." This presentation was a joint event with Alice Tangerini on 12 February, 2017.

1. Science as Art
Free Access to Natural History
Books and Art in the
Biodiversity Heritage Library
Grace Costantino
12 February 2017 | Smithsonian Associates
@BioDivLibrary
Share your thoughts on social media using #BHLib

2. The Biodiversity Heritage Library
provides free and open online
access to library collections from
around the world.

3. The Biodiversity Heritage Library
(www.biodiversitylibrary.org) is an open access digital
library for biodiversity literature and archives.

4. 51+MILLION
PAGES
TITLES VOLUMES
114,000+ 194,000+
173+MILLIONINSTANCES OF TAXONOMIC NAMES
578+IN-COPYRIGHT TITLES LICENSED FOR BHL
AGREEMENTS
WITH 250+
LICENSORS
*Stats as of February 2017

5. BHL is a Global Consortium
18MEMBERS
AS OF FEBRUARY 2017
15AFFILIATES
60+ WORLDWIDE PARTNERS

6. CHECK YOUR HANDOUTS!
Books from Alice’s Talk in BHL

7. 64,500+
TOTAL FOLLOWERS ON
SOCIAL MEDIA
TOTAL FOLLOWERS
11,800+
TOTAL FOLLOWERS
11,400+
TOTAL FOLLOWERS
32,300+
TOTAL FOLLOWERS
5,000+
AVERAGE MONTHLY
READERS (CY16)
2,300+
FOLLOW @BIODIVLIBRARY
*Stats as of February 2017
TOTAL FOLLOWERS
4,000+

8. 110,000+
IMAGES IN FLICKR
TOTAL IMAGES
TAGGED31,500+
223+MILLION
TOTAL VIEWS ON IMAGES
OF TOTAL FLICKR
COLLECTION TAGGED
TAGGED IMAGES IN
EOL
29% 18,000+
BHL FLICKR NAMED 1 OF WIRED’S
27 MUST-FOLLOW FEEDS IN
THE WORLD OF SCIENCE
*Stats as of February 2017.
WWW.FLICKR.COM/BIODIVLIBRARY

9. COLOR OUR
COLLECTIONS
www.biodiversitylibrary.org/collection/ColorOurCollections

10. De aquatilibus
WOODCUTS
Ø By Pierre Belon, 1553
Ø Beginning of modern
ichthyology
Ø Start of modern embryology
Ø Used to print paper documents in
Asia as early as 7th century AD.
Ø Earliest known dated printed book
from China, 868 AD.
Ø Late 14th/Early 15th century used for
printing in Europe.
Ø By mid-15th century, used to print
block books and illustrated books in
Europe.
Woodcuts…
www.biodiversitylibrary.org/bibliography/5765

11. www.biodiversitylibrary.org/bibliography/5765
De aquatilibus (1553)

12. www.biodiversitylibrary.org/bibliography/5765
De aquatilibus (1553)

13. De aquatilibus
WOODCUTS
Ø By Pierre Belon, 1553
Ø Beginning of modern
ichthyology
Ø Start of modern embryology
Ø Used to print paper documents in
Asia as early as 7th century AD.
Ø Earliest known dated printed book
from China, 868 AD.
Ø Late 14th/Early 15th century used for
printing in Europe.
Ø By mid-15th century, used to print
block books and illustrated books in
Europe.
Woodcuts…
www.biodiversitylibrary.org/bibliography/5765

14. Woodcut Process
Printing-block (woodcut),
probably pearwood.
Martyrdom of Saint Sebastian,
South Germany, c. 1470–1475.
Image: Public Domain.

15. Natural History of Carolina,
Florida, and the Bahama Islands
ETCHINGS
Ø By Mark Catesby, 1729-47
Ø First fully-illustrated book on
the flora and fauna of North
America.
Ø Earliest known examples of its use
from Germany in the mid-1400s.
Ø Etching process in printmaking
believed to date to 1515.
Ø Intaglio processes became standard
for illustrating books by late 16th
century.
Ø Used predominantly until the
mid-19th century when lithography
started gaining ground.
Intaglio Printmaking…
www.biodiversitylibrary.org/bibliography/62015

16. www.biodiversitylibrary.org/bibliography/62015
Natural History of Carolina, Florida,
and the Bahama Islands (1729-47)

17. www.biodiversitylibrary.org/bibliography/62015
Natural History of Carolina, Florida,
and the Bahama Islands (1729-47)

18. Natural History of Carolina,
Florida, and the Bahama Islands
ETCHINGS
Ø By Mark Catesby, 1729-47
Ø First fully-illustrated book on
the flora and fauna of North
America.
Ø Earliest known examples of its use
from Germany in the mid-1400s.
Ø Etching process in printmaking
believed to date to 1515.
Ø Intaglio processes became standard
for illustrating books by late 16th
century.
Ø Used predominantly until the
mid-19th century when lithography
started gaining ground.
Intaglio Printmaking…
www.biodiversitylibrary.org/bibliography/62015

19. Etching Process
Copper etching plate
and print.
Rembrandt.
The Virgin and Child
with a Cat, 1654.
Image:
CC-BY-SA.
Author:
NotFromUtrecht.

20. Plantarum historia succulentarum
ENGRAVINGS
Ø Illustrated by the Raphael of
flowers, Pierre-Joseph Redouté.
Ø Published 1799-1837.
Ø The first botanical publication
for which Redouté was the sole
artist.
Ø Dots, rather than lines, are used to
give a finer, more delicate
impression of tone and shading.
Stipple Engraving…
www.biodiversitylibrary.org/bibliography/503

21. www.biodiversitylibrary.org/bibliography/503
Plantarum historia succulentarum
(1799-1837)

22. www.biodiversitylibrary.org/bibliography/503
Plantarum historia succulentarum
(1799-1837)

23. Plantarum historia succulentarum
ENGRAVINGS
Ø Illustrated by the Raphael of
flowers, Pierre-Joseph Redouté.
Ø Published 1799-1837.
Ø The first botanical publication
for which Redouté was the sole
artist.
Ø Dots, rather than lines, are used to
give a finer, more delicate
impression of tone and shading.
Stipple Engraving…
www.biodiversitylibrary.org/bibliography/503

24. The Birds of Australia
LITHOGRAPHY
Ø By John Gould, 1840-48.
Ø First comprehensive survey of
the birds of Australia.
Ø Lithographs by Elizabeth Gould,
Henry Constantine Richter,
Edward Lear, and Waterhouse
Hawkins.
Ø First discovered by a German actor
and playwright, Alois Senefelder, in
1796.
Ø Used to varying degrees in early 19th
century, increasingly popular from
mid-century onward.
Lithography…
www.biodiversitylibrary.org/bibliography/105698

25. www.biodiversitylibrary.org/bibliography/105698
The Birds of Australia
(1840-48)

26. www.biodiversitylibrary.org/bibliography/105698
The Birds of Australia
(1840-48)

27. The Birds of Australia
LITHOGRAPHY
Ø By John Gould, 1840-48.
Ø First comprehensive survey of
the birds of Australia.
Ø Lithographs by Elizabeth Gould,
Henry Constantine Richter,
Edward Lear, and Waterhouse
Hawkins.
Ø First discovered by a German actor
and playwright, Alois Senefelder, in
1796.
Ø Used to varying degrees in early 19th
century, increasingly popular from
mid-century onward.
Lithography…
www.biodiversitylibrary.org/bibliography/105698

28. Lithography Process
Litography stone showing an old map of Munich.
Image: CC-BY-SA. Author: Chris 73.

29. Les orchidées
CHROMO-
LITHOGRAPHY
Ø By Émile de Puydt, 1880.
Ø A treatise on cultivated orchids.
Ø 50 full-page chromolithographs.
Ø Arose in mid-19th century, around
late 1830s.
Ø Used multiple stones to print
lithographs in color.
Ø Popular into 20th century, until it was
replaced by cheaper techniques like
offset printing around the 1930s.
Chromolithography…
www.biodiversitylibrary.org/bibliography/77404

30. www.biodiversitylibrary.org/bibliography/77404
Les orchidées (1880)

31. www.biodiversitylibrary.org/bibliography/77404
Les orchidées (1880)

32. Les orchidées
CHROMO-
LITHOGRAPHY
Ø By Émile de Puydt, 1880.
Ø A treatise on cultivated orchids.
Ø 50 full-page chromolithographs.
Ø Arose in mid-19th century, around
late 1830s.
Ø Used multiple stones to print
lithographs in color.
Ø Popular into 20th century, until it was
replaced by cheaper techniques like
offset printing around the 1930s.
Chromolithography…
www.biodiversitylibrary.org/bibliography/77404

33. Additional Resources
Ø History of Printing: American Printing History Association
Ø https://printinghistory.org/timeline/
Ø Woodblock Printing: John Steins
Ø http://www.johnsteins.com/woodblock-printing.html
Ø Intaglio Techniques: National Gallery of Art
Ø https://www.nga.gov/exhibitions/clrflimpr-tech.shtm
Ø Lithography: The Met
Ø http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/lith/hd_lith.htm
Ø Chromolithography: University of Delaware Library:
Ø http://www.lib.udel.edu/ud/spec/exhibits/color/lithogr.htm

34. Find & Download Botanical
Art in BHL
Ø To go: http://bit.do/BotanicalArt
Ø Click on link to view page in BHL
Ø Follow download instructions
here: http://bit.do/HighQualityJPEG

35. Ø To go: http://bit.do/BotanicalArt
Ø Click on link to view page in BHL
Ø Follow download instructions
here: http://bit.do/HighQualityJPEG
Find & Download Botanical
Art in BHL

36. Find & Download Botanical
Art in BHL
Ø To go: http://bit.do/BotanicalArt
Ø Click on link to view page in BHL
Ø Follow download instructions
here: http://bit.do/HighQualityJPEG

37. Thank You!
Questions?
Grace Costantino
CostantinoG@si.edu
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