Arch. Molluskenkunde | 143 | (1) | 1–19 | 9 figures | Frankfurt am Main, 27.06.2014 Color-full and eye-catching: an iconography of Liguus land shells (Gastropoda: Orthalicidae) 1 * 2 3 ABRAHAM S.H. BREURE , LUIS ÁLVAREZ-LAJONCHÈRE & ADRIÁN GONZÁLEZ GUILLÉN Abstract The first book illustrating a Neotropical land shell appeared in 1684, with a figure of Liguus virgineus (LINNAEUS 1758). An iconography for this genus is presented, describing early pre- and post-Linnean figures from 17th and 18th century shell books, with a briefer discussion of later il- lustrations through the early twentieth century. Also the development until the first photographs in the early 20th century is briefly discussed. Key words: history of malacology; pre-Linnean illustrations; Neotropical land shell; Orthali- cidae. Introduction Shell collecting has a long history dating backeschweizerbartxxx sng- to pre- edge of the printing techniques used at the time the book historic times. The earliest writings on mollusks were was produced (BUCHANAN 1979). Before 1700, the wood- those about marine species and are attributed to Aristotle cut was the earliest method which produced images in (DANCE 1966), while the first book figuring a freshwa- black and white. The image had to be drawn and carved ter mussel dates back to 1491 (VALLEDOR DE LOZOYA in the wood block in reverse, so that when the inked & ARAUJO 2011). Land snails have attracted less atten- block was pressed to a sheet of paper the image would tion and Neotropical species became only well-known be displayed correctly. When printers (or engravers with after trade connections had been established with e.g. later techniques) forgot to do this, the shell appeared as the West Indies. Specimens from genera as Liguus and mirror-image. In the course of the 17th century wood en- Polymita are colorful and plentiful — at least in those graving was developed as a refinement of wood-cutting days —, and were desired objects for conchologists. that allowed to obtain a multitude of fine lines and thus The figures of shells in natural history books have subtle gradations of grey tones. Engraving a figure de been the basis of identification for individuals who did novo was a laborious work, and it was thus not uncom- not have access to a museum collection where the spe- mon to re-engrave already published illustrations (FORD cies concerned was represented. The quality of the figure 2003). was thus important to reflect all the characteristics of Around 1700, copper engraving was introduced, the species. In the case of Liguus, e.g., the overall shell which enabled illustrations colored by hand; this method shape, the shape of the columella and the colors were was used throughout the 18th and into the early 19th among some of those characteristics. However, the im- century. The original drawing was transferred to a cop- age quality can only be appreciated with some knowl- per plate in reverse, after which the lines were cut away Authors’ adresses: 1 Abraham S.H. BREURE Naturalis Biodiversity Center, P.O. Box 9517, 2300 RA Leiden, the Netherlands; E-mail: ashbreure@ gmail.com; *corresponding author 2 Luis ÁLVAREZ-LAJONCHÈRE, Museo de Historia Natural ‘Felipe POEY’, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de La Habana, El Ve- dado, Plaza, La Habana, Cuba; E-mail: [email protected] 3 Adrián GONZÁLEZ GUILLÉN, Coral Gables, U.S.A; E-mail: [email protected] © E. Schweizerbart’sche Verlagsbuchhandlung (Nägele u. Obermiller), 2014, ISSN 1869–0963 DOI 10.1127/arch.moll/1869-0963/143/001-019 2 BREURE, A.S.H. et al.: Iconography of Liguus land shells with a burin, and the plate was inked and printed. In were still used, but the more important works were il- this and the preceding technique the engraver worked lustrated with stipple engravings in France, and with aq- from light to dark; a reverse technique (mezzotint) was uatint or mezzotint in Britain. Color printing from plates developed in Germany in the 17th century in which the was done either by applying all the colors to a single surface was roughened before the drawing was trans- copper plate (Britain) or making several identical copper ferred in reverse with a scraper. This surface technique plates and applying different colors to each (France). was better suited for color printing than line processes, After 1830 these techniques were gradually replaced by but the drawback was that the plates wore each time a lithography, and finally chromolithography. Lithographs print was taken from them and hence no two prints were used a smooth stone on which the drawing was made in pen exactly the same. Often the plates needed retouching, and greasy ink or a greasy lithographic crayon. The soft- making further differences between the prints, until the ness of the crayon gave a rather imprecise line, frequently whole plate had to be re-modeled. improved by retouching. The stone was then wetted, but Another technique made use of etching rather than the inked parts rejected the moisture; when a greasy ink engraving, in which the plate was covered with var- was passed over the stone it was, however, accepted by the nish first, then etching needles and punches were used previously inked portions. The lithographic prints, contrary to copy the design with small dots which went right to the aforementioned techniques, did not have the plate through to the copper beneath. Subsequently acid was mark surrounding the engravings and were frequently hand- applied eating away through the copper in which the dots colored. In chromolithography one used as many stones as had been punched, leaving intact only the parts covered there were colors to be applied, which allowed for overlap- with the varnish. This way, a very delicate and varied ping blocks of color overlapping and overprinting to create tone was produced, which was generally used with color a range of colors. However, this process required a con- printing on the plate. siderable skill of the printer and many chromolithographic In the aquatint technique the main difference was that plates were not of the highest quality (BUCHANAN 1979: the etching ground was porous. Acid was applied to the 193–197). The introduction of photography superseded plate many times and this method produced a soft half- these techniques in the early 20th century. tone effect. As with mezzotints, the plates wore and had In this paper we will describe how the Liguus shells to be continually worked on, and many prints contained were illustrated drawn in pre-Linnean times and beyond, a number of minor differences. During the Grand Era of until in the early 20th century when the first photographs natural history books (1780–1830) copper engravings appeared. eschweizerbartxxx sng- Iconography of Liguus shells The first published figure in print of Liguusa shell we Altera colore subnigro est, altera purpurea, vel ad min- have found is are aware of was in PHILIppO BUONANNI’s ium accedens, tercia fulua [fulva], viridis quarta, vltima [also known as Filippo Bonanni] Recreatio mentis et ostrina; omnes ita à summo vertice mucronem vsque oculi (BUONANNI 1684). This is the earliest book devoted ita circumuoluuntur, vt interuallo [intervallo] quodam entirely to shells (DANCE 1966), and a typical late 17th distinctae inter se, in eo videatur veluti album indusium, century compendium. The folio volume, which invited quò turbo tegitur. Valdè nitidus est, & lenigatus, & ab contemplation rather than reading, contained copper- Indico mati cum caeteris octo superioribus habetur” (A plate engravings illustrating individual shells. Each il- liberal translation might be: “Encircled with five bands lustration was accompanied by a relatively brief text and otherwise quite elegant. Another color is semi-black which described the shell in terms of its external fea- [grey], or purple, or tending to vermillion, as a third tures, enabling the classification of objects in conchol- brown, as a fourth green, real purple as the last one, all ogy (DIETZ 2006). In Classis III, Testacea Turbinata, wrapped up to and including the apex, with clear inter- figure 66, BUONANNI pictures a dorsal view of a shell ruptions, which seems like it were a white coat covering that is now attributed to L. virgineus (LINNAEUS 1758) the whorls. It is very shinying, [...], and on the testimony (PILSBRY 1899), although LINNAEUS did not mention this of the sea with the eight other [species] above”). The figure until the 12th edition of his Systema naturae (LIN- shell shape in the figure alone is, however, distinctive NAEUS 1767 [1766-1767]). The shell is placed in a semi- enough: the only Liguus sp. that has a high, near 40º upright position and —though reversed —shows clearly angle is L. virgineus. Pl. 151 fig. 1 in PETIVER (1764) is a a Liguus species (Fig. 1A). This figure has been copied slightly changed, mirror-copy of BUONANNI’s figure. in BUONANNI (1709). Shortly after this publication, MARTIN LISTER’s Histo- The explanatory text reads (BUONANNI 1684: 121): riae sive Synopsis Methodicae Conchyliorum appeared “Quinque fascijs cingitur hic alius caeteris elegantior. (LISTER 1692–1697; see also WILKINS 1957); a book not BREURE, A.S.H. et al.: Iconography of Liguus land shells 3 eschweizerbartxxx sng- Figure 1. A—BUONANNI 1684: Cl. III, fig. 66; B—L ISTER 1692–1697: pl. 12 fig. 7; C—L ISTER 1692–1697: pl. 15 fig. 10; D—KLEIN 1753: pl. 2 fig. 43; E—ARGENVILLE 1742: fig. M–N; F— ARGENVILLE 1757: App., pl. 1 fig. G; G—MÜLLER 1766: fig. 52; H— SCHRÖTER 1779: pl. 8 figs 3–4. 4 BREURE, A.S.H. et al.: Iconography of Liguus land shells eschweizerbartxxx sng- Figure 2. A—GUALTIERI 1742: I, pl. 6A; B— GUALTIERI 1742: I, pl. 6D; C— GUALTIERI 1742: I, pl.