Profile – Mark Catesby 1683-1749

Mark Catesby (1683 – 1749) was a pioneer of botanical exploration and illustration.

“The early Inclination I had to search after Plants, and other productions in nature, being much suppressed by my residing too far from London, the centre of all Science, I was deprived by all opportunities and examples to excite me of a stronger pursuit after those things to which I was naturally bent.” Mark Catesby

Driven by his curiosity to observe the plants and animals that were “strangers to England,” he traveled to Virginia where he stayed with relatives. During that seven year period (1712 – 1719), he sent plants back to friends in England, in particular Mr. Dale of Essex. He also sent along some observations which were then communicated to William Sherard, a celebrated English Botanist. An elite group of men befriended and eventually sponsored Catesby’s second voyage to America. That voyage lasted from 1722 until 1726 to areas such as Carolina, Florida and the Bahamas regions. Please see the map on the following pages as the referenced locations are historical.

Upon his return, he was encouraged to print a book about his observations but found the engraving costs to be too expensive. He decided to engrave plates himself and took a unique and more laborious approach to their production. His excerpt about this choice is included below from The natural history of Carolina, Florida, and the Bahama Islands (1754):

“At my return from America, in the year 1726, I had the satisfaction of having my labours approved of; and was honoured with the Advice of several of the above-mentioned Gentlemen, most skilled in the Learning of Nature, who were pleased to think them worth Publishing, but that the expense of Graving would make it too burdensome an Undertaking. This Opinion, from such good Judges, discouraged me from attempting it any further: and I alter’d my Design of going to Paris of Amsterdam where I at first proposed to have them done. At length by the kind advice and Instructions of that inimitable Painter Mr. Joseph Goupy, I undertook, and was Initiated in the way of, etching them myself, which I have not done in a Graver-like manner, choosing rather to omit their method of cross-hatching, and to follow the humour of the Feathers, which is more laborious, and I hope has proved more to the purpose.”

“The Illuminating Natural History is so particularly essential to the perfect understanding of it, that I may aver [state] a clearer Idea may be conceived from the Figures of Animals and Plants in their proper colours, than from the most exact Description without them: wherefore I have been less prolix in the Description, judging it unnecessary to tire the Reader with describing every Feather, yet, I hope I have said enough to distinguish them without confusion.”

His works are found in:

• The natural history of Carolina, Florida, and the Bahama Islands, Mark Catesby, published London for C. Marsh, 1754
• Hortus Europae americanus, or, A collection of 85 curious trees and shrubs, Mark Catesby, published London for J. Millan, 1767
• Piscium, serpentum, insectorum, aliorumque nonnullorum animalum nec non plantarum quarundam imagines, published Germany, Georgii Wolfgangi Knorrii, 1777
• Verzameling van uitlandsche en zeldzaame vogelen, Amsterdam, J.C. Sepp, published 1772-1781