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Magnolia grandiflora (The Laurel Tree of Carolina), c. 1743 (3rd ed. 1771), Georg Dionysius Ehret; Etcher: Georg Dionysius Ehret; Publisher: Mark Catesby, English, 1682/83 - 1749, 19 1/2 x 13 in. (49.53 x 33.02 cm) (sheet, margins cut), Hand-colored etching, England, 18th century, Mark Catesby's Natural History was the first published account of the plants and animals of North America. It was also the first natural history book to include large-scale color plates. He lived in Virginia from 1712 to 1719 and in Carolina from 1722 to 1726. After returning to England, he spent some eighteen years preparing his sumptuous publication. (Photo by: Sepia Times/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)