Lot 29556: Abbot - Oak Lackey Moth. 59

This folio engraving is from the first edition of the first book on American entomology, John Abbot's The Natural History of the Rarer Lepidopterous Insects of Georgia. Their systematic characters, the particulars of their several metamorphoses, and the plants on which they feed. Collected from the observations of Mr John Abbot.... The work was done by J. E. Smith and printed in London by T. Bensley between 1797 and 1822. The originally hand-colored engravings are on J. Whatman watermarked paper and generally will have the original text in English and Latin included with the sale of the engraving.

John Abbot was one of the most important and prolific of the early American natural history artists. He was passionate about natural history from an early age, and his family's wealth gave him personal access to Mark Catesby's Natural History of Carolina, Florida and the Bahama Islands as well as George Edwards's Natural History of Uncommon Birds and Gleanings of Natural History. The Royal Society of London, Thomas Martyn, and Dru Drury sponsored his sailing to Virginia in 1773 where he would collect and draw local insects for the next two years before settling in Georgia. He sent specimens and drawings to Europe until at least 1835, though a significant portion were lost at sea. Abbot published the first printed work devoted to American entomology with the support of Sir James Edward Smith, co-founder of the Linnaean Society of London. William Swainson described Abbot as one of the United States' most important natural history artists, as "a most assiduous collector, and an admirable draftsman of insects..." (quoted by Sabin).

“Abbot apparently supported himself almost entirely by providing specimens and watercolour drawings of insects, spiders, and birds to buyers in America and to his correspondents in Britain and Europe... During much of his lifetime, Abbot was the most prolific and talented illustrator of birds and insects in America; and Swainson noted that Abbot's insect specimens were ‘certainly the finest that have ever been transmitted as articles of commerce to this country’ (Simpson, North Carolina Historical Review).

“Because Abbot never published any works under his own name, the extent of his contributions to ornithology and entomology remained largely unrecognized until the latter half of the twentieth century. Although he may have viewed his work as mostly commercial, his data and illustrations were of considerable significance to a number of major scientific publications. He remains best-known for providing data and the 104 illustrations to the earliest extensive monograph devoted entirely to North American entomology, Sir James Edward Smith's Natural History of the Rarer Lepidopterous Insects of Georgia (1797)” (Dictionary of National Biography)

~ 12 1/4" by 16"

Originally Hand-colored Engraving

1797-1822

The work is in very good to excellent condition overall. The work occasionally exhibits some very light text offset. There may be a few minor imperfections to be expected with age. Please review the image carefully for condition and contact us with any questions.

The Natural History of the Rarer Lepidopterous Insects of Georgia…