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Authors
George Brettingham Sowerby I (12 August 1788 – 26 July 1854) was a British naturalist, illustrator and conchologist. He was the second son of James Sowerby. George was educated at home under private tutors, and afterwards assisted his father in the production of illustrated works on natural history. On the latter's death in 1822, he and his brother James De Carle Sowerby continued their father's work on fossil shells, publishing the latter parts of the Mineral Conchology of Great Britain. He published about 50 papers on molluscs and started several comprehensive, illustrated books on the subject, the most important the Thesaurus Conchyliorum, a work that was continued by his son, George Brettingham Sowerby II and his grandson George Brettingham Sowerby III. One of his first works was the cataloguing of the collection of the Earl of Tankerville. He also dealt in shells and natural history objects, his place of business being first in King Street, Covent Garden, from which he removed to Regent Street, and finally to Great Russell Street. He was elected a fellow of the Linnean Society on 5 March 1811. He died at Hanley Road, Hornsey, on 26 July 1854.
