Botanical art and illustrations from HMS Endeavour

The Natural History Museum holds all of the surviving botanical artwork from Captain James Cook's first Pacific voyage. The Endeavour voyage (1768-1771) greatly expanded Western scientific knowledge of the South Pacific. The scale of discoveries recorded by the natural history illustrators on board set a precedent for including artists on future voyages.

Explore original botanical drawings and engravings prepared by Sydney Parkinson aboard the Endeavour, as well as those completed after his death by artists back in England under the patronage of Sir Joseph Banks.