South Sea Shell Artists

Shell collecting was a popular eighteenth- and nineteenth-century pastime, as it was an era of discovery and amateur science when underwater exploration had barely begun...so shells hinted at hidden wonders.
Shells from exotic lands were eagerly sought to fill the curiosity cabinets considered indispensable in the well-appointed home.
In particular, the South Pacific was thought of as a distant yet tantalising paradise, and the shells from there were marveled at.
We have unearthed some excellent hand coloured lithographs of shells from the south pacific.