Beautiful Shells

In 1911, architect, stone mason and shell obsessive George Perry published his lavishly illustrated Conchology or the Natural History of Shells, featuring 348 mollusc shells with descriptions of species, many of which were new to science.

This new book reproduces the stunning, exquisitely drawn and sometimes fanciful shell illustrations from this extraordinary nearly-forgotten volume. Following an introduction exploring our fascination with shells and their impact on human history, culture and science, each of the sixty-one colour plates is included alongside a description of notable shells and what is known of the mysterious organisms that make them.

About the author

Mark Carnall is Collections Manager of human remains and non-insect invertebrate collections at the Oxford University Museum of Natural History.