Thursday, 9 August 2012

Naturally Beautiful - The New Naturalist Series

by Julie Oreskovich

Butterflies
E.B. Ford

The first in the series to be published in 1945.

The New Naturalist Series is a collection of books published by Collins in the UK that focuses on natural history topics. Sure, there are plenty of books about nature, but what makes these books stand out from the pack is the gorgeous design of the covers. According to the New Naturalist website, the aim of the series at the start was, "to interest the general reader in the wild life of Britain by recapturing the inquiring spirit of the old naturalists."
The first book to appear was Butterflies by E.B. Ford. Each and every author who contributed to the series were eminent experts and often professional scientists. The covers of the original books are stunning and were mostly designed by Clifford and Rosemary Ellis. Some of the more recent covers were designed by Robert Gilmor. The Ellis' designed more than 86 covers over 40 years which helped to capture the distinct look of the series.
In 1990, Bloomsbury produced a collection of facsimile editions, each one being a hardback with new dustjacket designs and all plates in black and white. At the top of the New Naturalist range are the exquisite leather bound editions. Limited to just 50 hand-bound copies for recent titles, these books are numbered, signed by the author and are a beautiful addition to any book collector's shelf.
Although the books are written in scientific style, they will appeal to anyone who has a keen eye for beautiful book design.