I Believe: A Child's Guide to Understanding Basic Christian Beliefs

A unique collection of botanical, zoological, and entomological drawings depicting the natural history of ChinaThis collection is a selection of some of the finest examples of Chinese natural history drawings from the 18th and 19th centuries, many of which have never been published before. Commissioned and collected during the early 19th century by John Reeves and his son, and now housed in the Natural History Museum, London, these outstanding images are important not only for their striking beauty but also for their scientific significance. Sent to China in 1812, John Reeves was a tea inspector for the East India Company and a keen amateur naturalist who commissioned hundreds of scientific drawings from local artists, which were then sent to Britain. Despite often being highly stylized, the images helped to further European knowledge of Chinese natural history during a time when access to the country was severely restricted. Through their dedicated and enthusiastic work, Reeves and his son helped pave the way for some of the great explorers and collectors that followed. The Library of the Natural History Museum is a repository for one of the most exciting and comprehensive collections of natural history literature and artworks to be found anywhere in the world. It holds half a million artworks, comprising one of Britains biggest art collections and representing all the great natural history artists, and more than one million books, including some richly illustrated volumes of great historical significance.