Fine Rare Prints

Sowerby's Sea Shells

CD of 27 high quality digital scans of antique prints

Incredibly detailed scans of all the prints in Sowerby's best work on sea shells. Look fantastic when printed and framed and placed in your bathroom

Page down to see a selection of the prints, the contents list and to read about their history

$59.99 - order #CD003

To order, press the order link in the menu at the top of this page

Includes a bonus of a wonderful screen saver of the prints

To buy the original antique prints click here

Benefits

• Save money - print accurate copies of beautiful antique prints for a fraction of their cost

• Study them before investing in the original prints

• Illustrate educational projects

• Use them to create art, greeting cards, calendars, postcards and posters, computer wallpaper and clip art

• Enjoy the screensaver of the prints

Features

• Scans are of the original antique prints

• Scans are exactly same dimensions as original antique print

• Scans are saved as bitmap files (.bmp) so all detail is retained (unlike jpg files)

• Each image file is several megabytes large! Prints were scanned at 300dpi and saved at 150dpi (similar to the resolution of most digital photos)

• Print direct from the CD or from programs such as Microsoft Picture It, Adobe Photoshop, Corel PhotoPaint, Macromedia Fireworks and Paint Shop Pro

Information

Shell collecting was a popular eighteenth- and nineteenth-century pastime. During this era of exploration, shells from exotic lands were eagerly sought by collectors and the genteel classes to fill the curiosity cabinets considered indispensable in the well-appointed home.

Whilst shell collecting was popular, it is worth noting that relatively few prints illustrating shells in color were ever produced. Considering that pictures of shells are popular to this day, it is no surprise that antique prints of shells are both scarce and in great demand.

George Brettingham Sowerby junior was part of a remarkable family of natural-history illustrators. His grandfather James was a botanical illustrator par excellence. His three sons all followed in his footsteps, as did three grandsons and one great-grandson. George Brettingham jnr. took over the mantle of conchologist from his father, and in time passed it on to his son of the same name. He went on to produce a large body of work, including a large body of work on shells which took three generations of Sowerbys over forty-five years to complete. (Ref. Dance, 'A History of Shell Collecting', p. 140).

Date

The antique prints were published in London in 1842.

Print method

The prints were hand colored engravings

Condition

The prints the scans were made from are in excellent condition - as fresh as the day they were printed. No foxing.

Size

Approximately 8.75" by 5.5"(22 cm by 14cm). The shells cover most of the paper.

How to order

Please note the order number for this print which is shown at the top of the page. Then click on the Order button at the top or the Order link at the bottom of this page.