Alexander von Humboldt and the Botanical Exploration of the Americas

Alexander von Humboldt and the Botanical Exploration of the Americas

Unseen botanical masterpieces from one of history's greatest scientists

In 1799, Alexander von Humboldt – inventor, geologist, botanist and meteorologist – began an epic five-and-a-half-year expedition, accompanied by the botanist Aimé Bonpland, through present-day Venezuela, Cuba, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Mexico. Part of the Spanish empire, their borders were closed to foreigners, their interiors almost completely unexplored. Humboldt’s enterprise earned him the epithet of ‘a second Columbus’ and the expedition came to be known as, ‘the scientific discovery of America.’

Humboldt’s report from this uncharted and dangerous territory caused an immediate sensation. He climbed Chimborazo, one of the highest peaks in South America, observed the remains of the great Aztec and Inca cultures and mapped the structure of the Andes. He observed that altitude sickness was caused by a lack of oxygen, and that felling trees contributed to soil erosion. Most importantly, Humboldt introduced a new and rigorous methodology in his observations of vegetation, geology and weather, and the relation between the climate and geography of a region and its plants. His understanding of the link between living things and their environment proved a key inspiration for Darwin, who called him ‘the greatest travelling scientist who ever lived’

One of Humboldt’s great advances was his readiness to represent science visually, with maps and diagrams of his discoveries. He made copious drawings of the plants he saw (‘More than 400 drawings, using graphite pencil or pen, were completed by me’).

He and Bonpland collected over 4,000 botanical specimens which they preserved through a variety of ingenious methods, covering some with ink and pressing them in paper to make a ‘printed impression’. Not all of these specimens survived the long trip home, but those that did were copied, together with Humboldt’s drawings, by a team of engravers and colourists selected by him. Because of the size and intricacy of the task, it took nearly 30 years for the botanical drawings to be published in their entirety.

This new edition of Humboldt and the Botanical Exploration of the Americas, from fine art publishers Prestel, presents a glorious range of exotic plants, from the tomato, native to South America, to the inga ingoides (ice cream bean) and Lupinus nubigenus, found only in Ecuador. Many were the first images of these plants to be seen in Europe, and they remain an invaluable record of plant diversity. Held in botanical collections in Paris, Berlin and throughout the world, they are rarely accessible. Presented here are 82 engravings, many never published before. Hans Walter Lack, Director of the Botanic Garden and Botanical Museum of Berlin, has written a fascinating account of Humboldt’s life and work, which draws heavily on contemporary sources. It is illustrated with period paintings and engravings as well as Humboldt’s own maps and diagrams.

Humboldt died in 1859, the year On The Origin of Species was first published. This magnificent volume is a fitting tribute to one of the most influential early pioneers of botanical exploration and to a remarkable roving spirit.

ALEXANDER VON HUMBOLDT (1769-1859) was hailed as the greatest scientific genius of his day. He was fêted by Thomas Jefferson, presented to the Emperor Napoleon and cited by Charles Darwin as one of his most important influences. Humboldt conducted the first major scientific survey of the South American continent, an enterprise which yielded significant advances in botany and scientific methodology. Now exactly 150 years after his death, this magnificent edition presents the most extensive collection of botanical illustrations from his travels – many never published before – along with a fascinating text telling the full story of Humboldt’s scientific revolution.