NYPL Point: E.L. Trouvelot's Astronomical Drawings

This edition of Point focuses on the astronomical drawings of Étienne Léopold Trouvelot (1827–1895), which are housed in The New York Public Library's Rare Book Division. An artist as well as amateur entomologist and astronomer, Trouvelot produced thousands of scientific illustrations over his lifetime. Charles Scribner’s Sons published 15 of Trouvelot’s drawings of celestial bodies and phenomena in 1881 as The Trouvelot Astronomical Drawings Manual. Scribner was able to reproduce the vivid color and detail in each of Trouvelot’s illustrations using chromolithography, an inexpensive method of color printing. The Library has digitized images from that book and included them here, paired with modern-day photography of the same astronomical objects and phenomena captured by NASA and other space agencies. You will also find exclusive videos of NYPL librarians offering their unique perspective and knowledge on Trouvelot: his mind, his background, and his methods. Point Volume 1, Edition 2, E.L. Trouvelot's Astronomical Drawings, was compiled and edited by Laura Rietz.