Memoirs
Forty-two biographical memoirs of notable naturalists were included in The Naturalist’s Library.
Prefixing each volume, was a detailed biographical memoir with an engraved frontispiece portrait of a pioneering scientist. While the series is widely famous for its vibrant, hand-colored plates of animals, these monochrome portraits served to introduce the human minds behind the taxonomy. By opening each volume (and closing two) with the physical likeness of historical and contemporary figures, the collection framed the study of nature as a collaborative, ongoing human journey shaped by individual dedication and exploration.
Executed under the supervision of Edinburgh engraver William H. Lizars, these steel engravings are characterized by crisp line-work, delicate cross-hatching, and tonal depth. The portraits also occasionally depict tools of a subject’s trade. These stylistic choices humanized the sciences for the Victorian public, transforming abstract historical names into tangible individuals and offering a dignified visual tribute to the founders of natural history.
Before 16th century AD
384 b.c.–321 b.c.
“Prince of Philosophers”
Taught Alexander the Great, wrote many books on science and ethics that guided the thoughts of educated people for almost two thousand years.
19 or 23 a.d.–78 a.d.
Historian of Nature
Gathered ancient knowledge into a large encyclopedia, recording many amazing stories before he died during the famous eruption of Mount Vesuvius that destroyed cities.
16th century
1514–1572
Ichthyology
Taught medicine and created a large, illustrated book on fish, using direct observation to help rebuild the science of natural history in his time.
1516–1565
General Zoology
Gathered the vast knowledge into a great history of animals and plants, founding a museum to help others study nature before his early death.
1522 or 1527–1605
General Zoology
Left his law studies to observe nature, building a large museum and writing a massive encyclopedia that eventually cost him his entire fortune and sight.
1507–1566
Ichthyology
Acquired high reputation through his comprehensive history of fishes, which utilized original observations and accurate engravings to establish the foundations of ichthyology.
17th century
1628–1705
General Zoology, Botany
Created steady systems for grouping plants and animals to show the wisdom of God in nature.
Francis Willoughby, Esq. F.R.S.
1635–1672
General Zoology
Studied birds and fish with great care, creating the first real systems to group them by their physical parts.
1637–1680
Entomology
Founded the study of insect anatomy by using microscopes to reveal hidden internal parts, though his later life was troubled by poor health and deep religious devotion.
1640–1722
Patron of Science
Helped start the College of Physicians in Edinburgh and wrote an important book about the natural history of his home country, Scotland.
1647–1717
Entomology
Traveled to Surinam to study and paint insects, creating a book that showed how caterpillars change into butterflies to help other people learn.
1660–1762
General Zoology
Gathered many plants and animals in Jamaica and led the Royal Society, left his large collection to the public to found the British Museum.
18th century
1703–1777
Anatomy—Science
Discovered how the body works, wrote many books on plants and poetry, and served his country as a scientist and leader throughout his life.
1707–1778
Botany—Zoology
Created a new way to name and group plants and animals by their physical parts, making science more organized and clear for every person to understand.
1708–1788
Zoology
Gifted writer and leader of the Royal Garden, described the natural world in beautiful language, completing a long history that mixed scientific facts with his own creative ideas.
1716–1800
Naturalist
Helped Buffon study animal bodies, organized a great nature museum, and improved sheep wool to help farmers—serving science and his country during his long life.
1720–1778
Entomology
Used his large fortune to study insects, writing a seven-volume work that described their bodies and habits with clear scientific detail.
1722–1789
Anatomy—Science
Studied the bodies of humans and animals, discovered air in bird bones, and showed how anatomy could help artists draw more accurately.
1725–1804
Entomology
Spent thirty years gathering a massive collection of exotic insects and produced an accurate, beautiful book that significantly advanced the philosophical and scientific study of nature.
1726–1798
General Zoology
Wrote famous books on British animals and explored Scotland, providing careful descriptions of the nature, history, and land he saw during his many long journeys.
1728–1793
Comparative Anatomy
Studied all living things to understand nature, building a large museum of animal parts to show how the bodies of all different creatures are structured.
1758–1826
Comparative Anatomy
Rose by his own perseverance to become a successful expert in anatomy, writing many books and leaving a large museum collection to help future students learn.
1730–1794
Intelligent Traveller
Explored Abyssinia and found the sources of the Blue Nile, overcoming many dangers in the desert to share new knowledge about distant lands and people.
1731–1804
General Zoology
Surveyed the Scottish islands and gave important talks that helped science move forward in a significant way.
1740–1795
Buffon’s Translator
Put together the first Encyclopedia Britannica and wrote a book about the rules of nature to teach and help his fellow men around him.
1741–1811
General Zoology
Traveled across Russia for the Empress to study animals, plants, and rocks, writing many books that helped people understand the natural world and how mountains form.
1743–1820
Patron of Science
Spent his life and wealth supporting science, traveling with Captain Cook and leading the Royal Society to help the study of nature grow around the world.
1744–1829
Malacology
Wrote important books on animals without backbones and plants, suggesting that living things slowly change their bodies to satisfy new needs as their environment changes.
1746–1805?
Ornithology, South America
Spent twenty years in South America as a boundary officer, teaching himself natural history and writing books about the geography, animals, and native people of the region.
1750–1817
Mineralogy, Geology
Changed how we study the earth by creating a clear system to identify minerals and explain how different layers of rock were formed over time.
1750–1831
Entomology
Studied the habits of honey-bees with the help of his family and workers, discovering how they make wax and select their queens for science.
1753–1828
Engraver on Wood
Revived and improved the art of wood engraving, creating popular books on birds and animals with accurate pictures and humorous scenes to teach people about nature.
1753–1825
Ornithology
Explored Africa, losing his belongings in a ship explosion but continuing on to discover new animals and describe the lives of the local tribes.
1756–1825
Ichthyology
Followed Buffon to complete a large history of fish and reptiles, serving in high government roles while giving much of his own wealth to help others.
1762–1832
Entomology
Once saved from prison by a rare beetle, devoted his life to organizing insects into a natural system that helped students understand the animal world more clearly.
1766–1813
Ornithology, North America
Wrote a famous, large book about birds, drawing and describing them with a deep and sincere love for nature.
1769–1832
Zoology, Comparative Anatomy
Expert in animal bodies and changed science by comparing internal parts and bones to organize all living things and describe creatures belonging to a world from the ancient past.
Frederick Henry Alexander Von Humboldt
1769–1859
General Science
Devoted his life to perilous enterprise and successful investigation, exploring the American continent and Asia to advance the sciences of botany, geology, and magnetism.
1775–1810
Enterprising Traveller, Zoology
Joined a major voyage to the Southern Seas, where he collected many new animal species and studied different people before dying young from lung disease.
1781–1817
Enterprising Traveller, Zoology
Explored Southeast Asia, where he found a giant flower and later started the Zoological Society of London to help people study and enjoy animals.
1784–1817
Enterprising Traveller
Mastered the Arabic tongue and oriental manners, explored the deserts of Syria and Arabia, and discovered the ancient city of Petra.
19th century
1804–1865
Enterprising Traveller, Ichthyology
Traveled through the wild rivers of British Guiana, discovering many new plants and mapping unknown lands for the government during several long and dangerous expeditions.