The stunning, specially commissioned cover illustrations are one of the great joys of the New Naturalist series, lending it a distinctive style which has inspired nature enthusiasts for many decades.

Fascinating collectors open their homes to reveal the weird and wonderful world of natural objects. From the nineteenth century’s cabinets of curiosity to today’s interest in sustainable de´cor, obsessive collectors of natural objects have long filled their homes with their finds—everything from fossils and feathers to seeds and dried flowers. This book offers a glimpse inside twenty homes of the most interesting and creative contemporary collectors, revealing the stories behind their collections and how they celebrate their love of nature in their everyday spaces. People have always collected mementos from the natural world: amateur and professional naturalists of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, foragers, beachcombers, and taxidermists today. A new generation of naturalists are using their collections to craft creative careers and decorate their homes with their finds. From a German manor filled with antique taxidermy to the Paris apartment of a sculptor working with feathers and an Italian beachside retreat that showcases foraged shells and pebbles, this book provides a wealth of inspiration for celebrating the beauty of the world around us. Full of practical tips on everything from curating a shelf of objects to intricately decorating walls and surfaces with ecological finds, this volume offers plenty of ideas readers can apply in their own homes. With our ever-increasing interest in finding new ways to reconnect with nature and sustainability, this is inspirational reading for all those who want to bring the outdoors in.

Recommended for viewing on a colour tablet. The Collins New Naturalist series is the longest-running and arguably the most influential natural history series in the world with over 120 volumes published in nearly 70 years.

A history of the most successful, significant and long-running natural history series in the world.

The stunning, specially commissioned cover illustrations are one of the great joys of the New Naturalist series, lending it a distinctive style which has inspired nature enthusiasts for many decades. This edition is limited to 100 copies available only from newnaturalists.com The Collins New Naturalist series is the longest-running and arguably the most influential natural history series in the world with over 100 volumes published in over 60 years. Throughout the years, the highly characteristic dust jacket illustrations have become iconic, lifting the books to a level of collectibility and increasing the level of admiration for an already well-established and respected series. With early cover illustrations prepared by Clifford and Rosemary Ellis, later and more recent covers have been designed by Robert Gillmor. Featuring prints of the awe-inspiring artwork of the New Naturalists, the book will offer a unique insight into Gillmor's approach to each subject matter and the intricate and creative way through which he has brought his own distinctive style and craft of printmaking to the New Naturalist series. Marren explores the findings from the Ellis archive, which has thrown up considerable information on how the old covers were developed, approved, in some cases rejected, and then proofed. The Art of the New Naturalists offers a fascinating insight into how the creation of these eminent cover designs has developed and progressed and will be essential reading for everyone interested in the frantic workings behind the seemingly serene collection of artwork that is one of Britain's iconic book series.

Francis Bacon introduced his contemporaries to a new way of investigating nature. He called it "natural and experimental history." Despite its rather traditional name, Bacon's natural and experimental history was a new discipline: it comprised new ideas, new practices and new models of collaborative research. This new discipline was, in many ways, a surprisingly successful project. It provided early modern naturalists with tools, methods and models for both investigating nature and writing about their subject. It also offered a set of norms and values for guiding research. And yet, this new discipline was not a science of nature -- it was more like an art. This book aims to trace the emergence, evolution and reception of Francis Bacon's art of experimental natural history.

In 1712, English naturalist Mark Catesby (1683–1749) crossed the Atlantic to Virginia. After a seven-year stay, he returned to England with paintings of plants and animals he had studied. They sufficiently impressed other naturalists that in 1722 several Fellows of the Royal Society sponsored his return to North America. There Catesby cataloged the flora and fauna of the Carolinas and the Bahamas by gathering seeds and specimens, compiling notes, and making watercolor sketches. Going home to England after five years, he began the twenty-year task of writing, etching, and publishing his monumental The Natural History of Carolina, Florida, and the Bahama Islands. Mark Catesby was a man of exceptional courage and determination combined with insatiable curiosity and multiple talents. Nevertheless no portrait of him is known. The international contributors to this volume review Catesby’s biography alongside the historical and scientific significance of his work. Ultimately, this lavishly illustrated volume advances knowledge of Catesby’s explorations, collections, artwork, and publications in order to reassess his importance within the pantheon of early naturalists.