Elieser Bloch Fish Engravings 18th Century.

Shop our Elieser Bloch fish engravings. These rare German 18th Century Ichthyology prints are considered “The most beautiful fish illustrations ever produced.” Lake & tropical species beautifully illustrated.

Fine Antique Prints of Fish by Eliezer Bloch Berlin 1772-1778

Marcus Eliezer Bloch lived in Germany from 1723 to 1799. He was both an Ichthyologist and Physician. Published from 1772-1778 in Berlin his work entitled “Okonomische Allgemeine Naturgeschichte der Auslandischen Fische” is considered the finest work on fish ever produced. Each beautiful antique water color copper plate engraving on hand made hand laid linen rag is in superior bright color and condition.

Each piece measures just about 9 1/2 x 16 1/4″

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Marcus Eliezer Bloch 18th Century Ichthyology Prints

Published from 1772-1778 in Berlin Germany, the Elieser Bloch fish engravings measure @ 9 1/2 x 16″ rare 18th Century Ichthyology prints, engraved by copper plates with bright water colors, on hand made hand laid rag paper.  Please inspect the photos carefully, a few have old folds.   Phone 413-245-4197   or Click here to contact us  to place your order.

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Description Marcus Elieser Bloch fish engravings from 1772-1778

Published during the 18th Century, in Nuremburg, Germany from 1772-1778, these wonderful fish engravings are considered to be the finest of all fish prints ever produced on the subject of fish. Bloch was born in Anspach and practiced as a physician in Berlin. He is best known for his encyclopedic work on ichthyology. Between 1772 and 1778 he published his Allgemeine Natureschichte der Fische, a 12-volume, beautifully illustrated comprehensive work on fishes. The first three volumes describe fishes Germany and were entitled Oeconomische Naturgeschichte der Fische Deutschlands, the remaining volumes dealt with fishes from other parts of the world and were entitled Naturgeschichte der auslandischen Fische.
Bloch’s actual collection of about 1500 specimens is today preserved at the Museum for Natural History (Naturhistorisches Museum) of the Humboldt University of Berlin.

Additional Marcus Elieser Bloch Fish Engravings available for sale:

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Beautiful Metallic Water Coloration Copper Plate Engravings

Not only are these beautiful because of the metallic water colouration but because the water colors were executed so well. Hand Colored Copper Plate Engravings. Considered to be rare in the rare book world, the plates are far and few between.

These rare hand colored antique engravings were produced in Germany from 1772-1778. The fish prints Bloch produced are considered the finest work on the subject of Ichtyologie. These are hand colored copper plate engravings on hand made hand laid linen rag.  The water coloring in the Ichthyology illustrations is superb.

The Evolution of Printing in the Age of Discovery…

The history of antique printing methods of the 16th, 17th, 18th and 19th Centuries is very interesting. My website consists of old prints, published in obsolete printing methods, that really do not exist today.  The entire subject revolves about how fast information could be published for readership. Readership in the old days revolved around money and new discoveries, especially in the area pertaining to natural history. If one could discover a new species of fish… That would boost the desire for information. It had a trickle down effect.

Soon, the publications became subscriptions, everyone wanted them. Like today, everyone wants the latest devise. Initially periodical subscriptions were made to those who could afford it: royalty, clergy, noblemen, etc. Who could read? The answer is only the educated, super wealthy, religious, clergy, nobility, etc… Oftentimes on expeditions, specimens were collected and captured, many alive, many did not survive the journeys home, nor the conditions when relocated.

18th Century publishing was basic economics: supply & demand.

Like today, in centuries before, desire for information lead to more supply of information. Hence the production of publishing books & periodicals. First up was to publish religious material in the 115th & 16th Centuries. Only the high priests could convey the printed messages. This lasted for a long time. Around 1800 or so, many more people read. So it was fashionable to be educated and that was done by the means of reading books, many of which were illustrated. Everyone could understand a beautiful picture. People did not have to understand all of the words, but it encouraged understanding.

18th and 19th Centuries museums of curiosities became the rage.

Many naturalist’s journeys were three months at sea.  18th and 19th Centuries museums of curiosities became the rage. Hoards of people would rush to museums to see exotic specimens brought home from expeditions of early explorers and naturalists. Royalty, Clergy financed explorations and hence the illustrations, publications that developed from trips. Often times young men, early scientists, aboard ships recorded the natural history sightings they saw along the way. They recorded every detail of the natural history specimens they came across. All of this absolutely fascinated the public. So the history of illustration, depicting and describing what had been found, along these tremendous explorations became a craze. How fast the information moved forward can be seen through the history of printing.

Exactly as the way things are moving forward quickly these days, so did it in the history of printing. It started with very slow laborious hand drawn pages by scribes and monks onto velum, to copper plate engraving on hand made hand laid linen rag paper, and moved forward to faster and faster printing, from lithography, hand colored or not to printing in colors, chromolithography. All driven by readership subscriptions. It all ended about 1900. when photographic printing became the 20th century tool, to today, when everything is digital and untouchable on the internet.

Misc Aquatic… Antique Prints of Lobsters & Crabs & Corals.