2026 Ocean Cabinet Wall Calendar — D'Orbigny 1849 Dictionnaire d'Histoire Naturelle | 12 Engravings

Carry the wonder of 19th-century natural science into every month of your year—when Charles Dessalines d’Orbigny catalogued the creatures of the world’s oceans, rivers, and shores in one extraordinary encyclopedia.

Each page of this 2026 wall calendar features a hand-colored steel engraving from the Dictionnaire Universel d’Histoire Naturelle (“Universal Dictionary of Natural History”), the landmark French encyclopedia directed by naturalist Charles Dessalines d’Orbigny (1806–1876) and published in Paris between 1841 and 1849. Illustrated by some of the finest scientific artists of the era—Édouard Traviès, Paul Louis Oudart, Blanchard, Acaric Baron, and others—and engraved by masters including Fournier, Teillard, Manceau, and Corbie, these plates represent the pinnacle of 19th-century natural history illustration: hand-colored, scientifically precise, and breathtakingly beautiful. The dictionary involved leading scientific minds of the era, including Arago, Becquerel, and Milne-Edwards, making it one of the most authoritative natural history references of its time.

Front Cover — Porkfish & Meagre, D’Orbigny, 1849: A striking double portrait from the Mediterranean and Atlantic—the vibrant Porkfish (Anisotremus virginicus), with its bold yellow and blue horizontal stripes and two dark vertical bars, paired with the powerful, pearly-silver Meagre (Argyrosomus regius). Originally labeled “Pristipome Râle” and “Maigre” on the plate, these two species—one a grunt of the Haemulidae family, the other a prized food fish of the Sciaenidae—are rendered with the meticulous detail that made d’Orbigny’s dictionary a collector’s treasure.

Back Cover — Atlantic Salmon & Common Carp, D’Orbigny, 1849: Two of Europe’s most celebrated freshwater fish, classified under the 19th-century order “Malacopterygiens”—fish with soft fin rays. The Atlantic Salmon (Salmo hamatus) and the Common Carp (Cyprinus carpio) are depicted with the same scientific rigour and artistic sensitivity that defines every plate in this collection, offering a fitting conclusion to a year of natural history wonder.

Why This Calendar Inspires:

• Twelve hand-colored engravings spanning dolphins, whales, fish, seals, crabs, seahorses, iguanas, and caimans—a true cabinet of natural curiosities from D’Orbigny’s 1841–1849 encyclopedia
• Illustrations by Traviès, Oudart, Blanchard, Baron, and other masters of 19th-century scientific art—engraved by Fournier, Teillard, Manceau, and Corbie
• Each month is a collectible antique-style print worthy of framing when the year ends
• From one of the most significant natural history encyclopedias ever published—Paris, 1841–1849, with contributions from Arago, Becquerel, and Milne-Edwards

Product Details:

• Format: Spiral-bound wall calendar, 2026
• Pages: 12 monthly illustrated plates + cover and back cover
• Binding: Spiral with centered hanging hole for easy display
• Dimensions: 11″ × 8.5″ (Matte) or 14″ × 11.5″ (Glossy)
• Paper: Thick, high-quality stock—matte writable grids, glossy premium finish
• Cover: Porkfish & Meagre engraving / Back: Atlantic Salmon & Common Carp

Perfect For:

• Natural history collectors and antique print enthusiasts celebrating the D’Orbigny 1849 encyclopedia tradition
• Marine biology and zoology lovers drawn to dolphins, whales, fish, crabs, seahorses, iguanas, and caimans
• Home office, study, or library wall décor—each monthly plate worthy of framing when the year ends
• Thoughtful gift seekers looking for a beautifully designed calendar for scientists, explorers, and curious minds
• Stationery and paper goods connoisseurs who believe a calendar should double as a cabinet of wonders
• Anyone captivated by the hand-colored steel engraving tradition of 19th-century French natural history publishing

Carry the spirit of 19th-century natural science into your everyday—twelve months, twelve creatures, one extraordinary year.

EU representative: HONSON VENTURES LIMITED, gpsr@honsonventures.com, 3, Gnaftis House flat 102, Limassol, Mesa Geitonia, 4003, CY

Product information: Generic brand, 2 year warranty in EU and Northern Ireland as per Directive 1999/44/EC

Care instructions: Use a soft, clean and dry cloth to gently brush any dust or dirt off from the center of book outwards.