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John Edwards Holbrook Lithographs of Snakes1836-1842
Ewell Sale Stewart Library
Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia
2002
EAD tagging 07/22/2002.
ENG
John Edwards Holbrook Lithographs of Snakes
Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia
07/22/2002Cataloging and digitizing made possible by The Getty Grant Program.
Coll. 219
Holbrook, John Edwards, 1794-1871
Lithographs of snakes1836-1842
3 lithographs
Ewell Sale Stewart Library, Academy of Natural Sciences
1900 Benjamin Franklin Parkway
Philadelphia, PA 19103-1101
When John Edwards Holbrook undertook monographing reptiles for North American Herpetology in the 1830s, there was no single reference work for information on all species. Committed to creating such a reference work, Holbrook had naturalists send specimens to him, which he would immediately paint from life. This system caused the the book to lack any standard systematic form. So, in 1838, after publishing 3 volumes of the book, Holbrook stopped publication for several years in order to organize his work. He accumulated all the materials he could, and put them into as good systematic order as he was able. At last, in 1842, when he was satisfied with the order, he issued an entirely new edition, which was published in 5 volumes. This collection consists of three colored lithographic proofs of snakes, printed for Holbrook's North American Herpetology. These prints are not identical with the published plates; the circumstances surrounding Holbrook's work and the reissue of parts with revised plates give these proofs great bibliographic importance.
John Edwards Holbrook, 1794-1871, born in Beaufort, Massachussetts, was considered by many to be the Father of Herpetology. He graduated from Brown College in 1815, then went on to the University of Pennsylvania where he received an M.D. in 1818. After travelling and studying in Europe, he settled in Charleston in 1828, where he was made professor of anatomy at The Medical College of South Carolina.
When Holbrook undertook monographing reptiles for
North American Herpetology in the 1830s, there was no single reference work for information on all species. Committed to creating such a reference work, Holbrook had naturalists send specimens to him, which he would immediately paint from life. He also hired J. Sera, an Italian immigrant, to assist in rendering the reptiles. As soon as he had acquired enough specimens, he would print a volume of his work.
This system caused the the book to lack any standard systematic form. So, in 1838, after publishing 3 volumes of the book, Holbrook stopped publication for several years in order to organize his work. He accumulated all the materials he could, and put them into as good systematic order as he was able. At last, in 1842, when he was satisfied with the order, he issued an entirely new edition, which was published in 5 volumes. Many of the plates of the first edition were retouched, and the number increased by 30 percent.
This collection consists of three colored lithographic proofs of snakes, printed for Holbrook's
North American Herpetology. These prints are not identical with the published plates; the circumstances surrounding Holbrook's work and the reissue of parts with revised plates give these proofs great bibliographic importance. Each print includes only a single figure, without background, for each species, and the snakes are twisted to give an idea of what might be seen from all points of view. Prints include: Coluber erythrogrammus [Abastor erythrogrammus], Crotalus durissus [Crotalus horridus], and Heterodon simus. Each image (19 x 14 cm. or smaller) is printed on sheets measuring 36 x 28 cm. Two images are marked "Sera pinx" and one "Rogers pinx".
Arranged alphabetically by published title.
Snakes--United StatesTimber RattlesnakeLithographs--19th centuryScientific illustrations--19th centuryBook illustrations--19th centuryProposed works--19th centurySera, J.Rogers
None.
Information on reproduction rights and services available in the library or on the web at http://www.ansp.org/library/reproductions.php
Cite as: Collection 219. John Edwards Holbrook Lithographs of Snakes. Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia.
Gift of Henry Weed Fowler, 1958.
Originally owned by Horatio C. Wood, who passed them down to George W. Wood, who gifted them to Fowler.
Finding aid by Mary Hammer, 2002; digitizing by Edward LeBlanc, 2003.
Published plates are found in:
Holbrook, John Edwards. North American Herpitology: or, A description of the reptiles inhabiting the United States. Philadelphia : J. Dobson, 1836-40.
Holbrook, John Edwards. North American Herpitology: or, A description of the reptiles inhabiting the United States. Philadelphia, J. Dobson; London, R. Baldwin; 1842.
Gill, Theodore. Biographical memoir of John Edwards Holbrook, 1794-1871. Washington, D.C. : Press of Judd & Detweiler, 1903.
1Coluber erythrogrammus, / Sera pinx, [ca. 1836]. Phila[delphia] : on stone by G. Lehman, Lehman & Duval Lith. 1 print : lithograph; image 36 x 28 cm.
Depicts snake coiled into a figure 8.
Plate 22, North American Herpetology, Vol. 1, 1836.
Common name: Rainbow snake. Sci name: Abastor erythrogrammus.
2C[rotalus] durissus / Sera pinx, [ca. 1838]. Phila[delphia] : Lehman & Duval Lith. 1 drawing : watercolor on illustration board; image 36 x 28 cm.
Depicts snake, coiled tightly with rattle upright.
Plate 17, North American Herpetology, Vol. 2, 1838.
Common name: Timber Rattlesnake. Sci. Name: Crotalus horridus.
3Heterodon simus / Rogers pinx, [between 1836 and 1842]. P. S. Duval Lith. 1 print : lithograph; image 36 x 28 cm.
Depicts snake, slightly coiled.
Plate 15, North American Herpetology Vol. 4, 2 ed, 1842.
Common name: Southern Hognose.