19th Century English hand colored shell engraving from "Conchologia systematica, or Complete system of conchology" by Lovell Augustus Reeve. Published in London by Longman, Brown, Green and Longmans; 1841-1842 Presented in french matting and a black and gilt frame. Lovell Augustus Reeve was an English publisher, conchologist and natural history dealer who wrote extensively on the topic of mollusc shells. Reeve apprenticed as a grocer, but developed his interest in conchology as a young man, and eventually established himself as a dealer in natural history specimens. In this work, his first book, Reeve presents comprehensive and detailed observations on the science and history of conchology. For each shell, he describes its qualities and classification. This was an exceedingly handsomely illustrated book on conchology, the publication costs of which "used up all the moneys left to him by his father" (ODNB). "The work had a limited scientific success but is still important because some species new to science were first described in it" (Dance & Heppell, p. 72).