Antique chromolithograph butterfly plate from Macrolepidoptera of the World, Volume 5, Dr. Adelbert Seitz, Editor. Athyrtis - Mechanitis - Plate 33

The Seitz plates are spectacular examples of scientific illustration and printing from the early 1900s. The use of metallic inks is unusual and makes some plates particularly dynamic. These were printed over a period from 1907 to 1954, with interruptions by two World Wars. All of these plates will mat and frame handsomely. They measure 9 3/4 " x 13" with a roughly 1 1/4" margin outside the black frame line. They are on  a cream paper that is only very slightly edge-toned. Some have bumps that slightly bent a corner as noted below. These will not show when matted. These are rare and unusual and are from a set that was assembled over the years from loose pages that were published unbound.  Plate 33 shows ithomiid butterflies that are members of the "tiger" mimicry ring. These are mildly poisonous to birds, making them nauseous and teaching the birds not to eat anything with this color pattern. Very slight bump in paper top left corner has not creased the paper.   Macrolepidoptera of the