Original Engraving 1840 Coloured Hand-drawn Naturalist Exploration

Original plate — Natural history of reptiles and fish — Scientific exploration of Algeria. Guichenot, A. Scientific exploration of Algeria during the years 1840, 1841, 1842, published by order of the government and with the assistance of an academic commission. Physical sciences. Zoology V. Natural history of reptiles and fish. Paris, Arthus Bertrand, 1850. Original period engraving, printed in colour with a doll and finished by hand. Folio format (37 X 28.1 cm). Plate depicting four species of fish. This publication, directed notably by the naturalist Bory de Saint Vincent and continued by several specialists including Alphonse Guichenot for the ichthyological part, constitutes one of the major French scientific enterprises of the 19th century dedicated to North Africa.