Cultures of Natural History

This lavishly illustrated volume is the first systematic general work to do justice to the fruits of recent scholarship in the history of natural history. Public interest in this lively field has been stimulated by environmental concerns and through links with the histories of art collecting and gardening. Twenty-four essays written at an accessible level cover the period from the sixteenth to the nineteenth century. The book includes suggestions for further reading and highlights the relevance of history for current debates on museum practice ecological diversity and the environment.