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19th Century Illustrations of African Wildlife

19th century color illustration of a rhinoceros in Africa
It’s Saturday! And I’m ready to spend some much-need quality time in the public domain.
So I was reading up on Africa’s animals and ecology and fell down another rabbit hole.
I whipped up this post from my pile of vintage scraps at home, an African scenery book from 1804, and a vintage zoological journal. These images span early to mid-late 19th century, putting them in the public domain.

vintage rhino color illustration
vintage rhino color illustration
hyena illustration 19th century
hyena illustration 19th century
Rhinoseros Vintage Illustration
Rhinoseros Vintage Illustration
Vintage Giraffe Illustration copy
Vintage Giraffe Illustration copy
Giraffe
Giraffe
lion2 illustration by Charles d Orbigny
lion2 illustration by Charles d Orbigny
lion illustration by Charles d Orbigny
lion illustration by Charles d Orbigny
Hippo illustration by Charles d Orbigny
Hippo illustration by Charles d Orbigny
Elephant illustration by Charles d Orbigny
Elephant illustration by Charles d Orbigny
painting of lions in the grass 1912 Lydekker RichardBy Richard Lydekker
painting of lions in the grass 1912 Lydekker RichardBy Richard Lydekker
Elephant Vintage Illustration from 1775
Elephant Vintage Illustration from 1775
Lion Illustration from 1775
Lion Illustration from 1775
Black and White Giraffe illustrations By Robert Huish 1830
Black and White Giraffe illustrations By Robert Huish 1830
Black and White Chittahs or Hunting Leopards illustrations By Robert Huish 1830
Black and White Chittahs or Hunting Leopards illustrations By Robert Huish 1830
lion walking illustration by Alfred Edmund Brehm
lion walking illustration by Alfred Edmund Brehm

Of my scraps, several are originally from old cigarette boxes and advertisements for everyday objects.

5 Awesome Projects You Can Do with Free Safari Illustrations

19th century zebra from vintage advertisement - public domain

The holidays are right around the corner, so now’s a good time to start brainstorming DIY gifts, make-your-own school supplies, greeting cards, gifts for crafters, and a whole host of fun stuff.

Animal Alphabet Flashcards

Print-Your-Own Animal Wrapping Paper

DIY Safari Greeting Cards for Birthday Parties 

Hidden Picture Games and Artwork

DIY Shrinky Dinks!

19th century vintage print of a zebra study - public domain

 

5 Things You Didn’t Know About Zebras

  • There are three species of zebra: Burchell’s zebra (also know as a plains zebra), Grevy’s zebra, and the Equus zebra.
  • So why do zebras have stripes? There have been several theories, but recent studies reveal that stripes may have evolved to keep zebras cool.
  • Zebras will often socialize with antelope herds for protection.
  • Like your fingerprints, no two zebras will have the same stripes.
  • Each zebra species has their own stripe patterns, varying in width. Zebras that live on the southern plains have stripes that are further apart.

Get 15 more fascinating facts on zebras from the Mother Nature Network!
19th century color illustration of African scenery with elephants - public domain

More Free Resources About African Animals and Ecology

19th century vintage illustration of leopard - public domain


The web is packed with free resources on African animals, ecology, environment, safari, and more. Bookmark the following for your next project.

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