19th Century Entomologists
and the
ARTISTS
who drew, lithographed and printed
illustrations for their articles on
Australian Lepidoptera
  
Don Herbison-Evans
(donherbisonevans@yahoo.com)
and
Stella Crossley


Illustrations of Lepidoptera in learned journals in the nineteenth century were line drawings, coloured by hand or lithography : a far cry from our digital scanners and laser/inkjet printers

Line drawings were produced by etching or engraving the lines by hand typically into a sheet of copper or steel, which could then used to print copies of the drawing. Before the invention chromo-lithography (ca 1840), these line drawings were coloured by hand and later by aquatint.

Lithographs were made by engraving tiles of stone.

Chromo-lithographs were made initially by doing a series of monochrome lithographs: one in each primary colour. Then each colour plate was used to print that colour on the final paper, carefully aligning it with the other colours already printed on that paper, after drying each previous printing.

Where companies were employed by entomologists to illustrate their monographs, the actual staff who drew, engraved, printed, and possibly hand coloured the illustrations were seldom recorded.

Here is a list of the known individuals and companies of artists, engravers, lithographers and printers involved in making the eighteenth and nineteenth century illustrations reproduced in this website.


Anderson, Ernest

artist for
himself

André & Sleigh Ltd.

printers for
Hampson and Butler

Baalde, Firma S.J.

printers and painters for
Cramer, Stoll

Bartholomew, Arthur

artist for
McCoy

Berjeau, P. Charles

lithographer for
Westwood

Blanchard, Charles

artist for
Boisduval, Guenée

Boisduval, Jean B.

artist, engraver,for
himself

Buckler, William

artist for
himself

Coster, Johannes J.

artist for
Snellen

Coutant, Jean L. D.

artist for
Guérin-Méneville

Davesne, Vincent

engraver for
Guérin-Méneville

Donovan, Edward

artist for
himself

Dupréel, Jean B.M.

engraver for
Rambur

Geyer, P. Carl F.

artist for
Felder & Rogenhofer.

Giraud, P. F. Eugène

engraver for
Guérin-Méneville

Green, Edward E.

artist for
Hampson

Hampson, George F.

artist for
himself

Hanhart, M. & N.

printers for
Westwood

Herrich-Schäffer, Gottlieb A.W.

artist, lithographer, printer for
himself

Hochdanz, Emil Co.

lithographer for
Strand, Seitz

Hübner, Jacob

artist and engraver for
himself

Hulstaert, Gustaaf

artist for
himself

Knight, Horace

artist for
Hampson, Dodds & Meyrick

Knight, E.C.

artist for
Bethune-Baker

Mintern Brothers Co.

lithographers and printers for
Buckler, Moore, Swinhoe

Moore, Frederic C.

artist and lithogapher for
Buckler, Moore, Swinhoe

Prêtre, Jean G.

artist for
Guérin-Méneville

Pusa Institute

artists for
Maxwell-Lefroy

Rambur, J. Pierre

artist for
himself

Rémond, Narcisse C.J.

printer for
Guérin-Méneville

Sauber, Christian J.A.

artist
himself

Scott, B. & B.

artists for
Scott

Sebin, Marie L.

engraver for
Guérin-Méneville

Semper, Georg

artist for
himself

Trap, Pieter W.M.

chromo-lithographer for
Buckler

Vaillant, Sabatien

artist for
Guenée

Vauthier, Antoine C.

artist for
Guérin-Méneville

Vollenhoven, Samuel C.S. van

artist for
himself

Wartenaar, Gerrit L.

artist and engraver for
Cramer, Stoll

Wendel, A.J & F.J.

chromo-lithographers for
Buckler, Snellen, Vollenhoven

Werner & Winter

lithographers, printers for
Semper, Strand, Seitz

West, Newman & Co.

printers for
Bethune-Baker, Hampson,
Maxwell-Lefroy, Butler

Wood, William Jr.

lithographer for
Butler



other unsung artists
whose illustrations
are used in this
website.



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(written 20 July 2026, updated 16 September 2026)