Baobab & Beech Journal — Dictionnaire Pittoresque 1833 French Natural History

In the 1830s, a team of French naturalists, engravers, and colourists set out to document the entire natural world in the Dictionnaire pittoresque d’histoire naturelle et des phénomènes de la nature (Paris, 1833–1839), directed by Félix-Édouard Guérin-Méneville. The front cover reproduces the baobab plate — a colossal Adansonia rising from the African savanna, figures gathered at the base of the massive trunk, a steel engraving coloured by hand with watercolour combining botanical detail with picturesque landscape. The back presents the beech and long-eared owl plate (Hêtre / Hibou moyen Duc), engraved by Acarie Baron with botanical details by Adolphe Fries — a forest scene that carries within it the deep etymological connection between the beech tree and the book itself: in German, Buche (beech) and Buch (book) share the same ancient root.

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Product Details

• Format: Hardcover lined journal
• Pages: 150 lined pages (75 sheets) with perforations for easy removal
• Binding: Casewrap sewn binding — flexible and lay-flat
• Dimensions: 5.75 × 8 inches
• Weight: Approximately 250 g (0.55 lbs)
• Cover: Matte laminated full-wrap print

Perfect For

• Lovers of French natural history illustration and 19th-century botanical art
• Admirers of the baobab — the ancient tree of life of the African savanna
• Those drawn to European forest symbolism, Celtic mythology, and the history of writing
• Birdwatchers, naturalists, and lovers of owls and woodland wildlife
• Thoughtful gift for book lovers, travellers, and collectors of rare illustrated encyclopaedias
• Anyone captivated by the idea that the tree and the book share the same name