Notes from the Vault: Exsiccatae, Xylotheks, and Lepidochromes--Illustrating Nature with Itself.

The article focuses on rare historical specimen-based natural history books—exsiccatae, xylotheks, and lepidochromes—that incorporate actual biological materials to illustrate plants, insects, and trees. Exsiccatae are botanical books containing pressed plant specimens, exemplified by 19th-century works like Charles Ferson Durant’s algae collection and David Landsborough’s Scottish seaweeds. Xylotheks are wooden “book” libraries made from tree materials, such as Carl Schildbach’s 18th-century comprehensive collection in Germany, which physically embody the trees they describe. Lepidochromes are entomological books featuring butterfly and moth wing scales transferred onto pages, notably Sherman Foote Denton’s and Yasushi Nawa’s early 20th-century publications. The article also discusses feather books, which use bird feathers to create lifelike avian illustrations, including a 17th-century Italian collection by Dionisio Minaggio. These labor-intensive and fragile works, mostly produced in Europe, Japan, and the United States during the 18th to early 20th centuries, serve as unique scientific and artistic records of biodiversity from a period when nature was considered inexhaustible. [Extracted from the article]