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This hand-colored engraving by Theodor de Bry, titled Crates ligneae in qua pisces ustulant (Wooden racks for smoking fish), illustrates a traditional method of preserving fish used by Indigenous people of Florida, as described by Jacques Le Moyne de Morgues. The image shows two Indigenous men preparing fish for smoking over an open fire. The wooden structure, constructed with four upright poles and crossbars, supports the fish on a grid above the flames, while smoke billows upwards to envelop the catch. One man tends to the fire with a long pole, while another carries a basket of additional fish on his back, ready for preparation.
The engraving is accompanied by a Latin text describing the process, explaining how fish are smoked to preserve them for the winter months when food is scarce. De Bry’s work, published in America Part II, reflects European curiosity about Indigenous cultures and practices in the New World. Though based on Le Moyne's original illustrations, which were often idealized or altered to suit European tastes, de Bry’s engraving provides a detailed and vibrant glimpse into early Native American life and their resourceful methods for food preservation. This plate is part of a broader series that sought to document and interpret the customs of Indigenous peoples encountered by early European explorers.
Theodor de Bry (1528-1598) was a prominent Flemish engraver and publisher best known for his engravings of the New World. Born in Liege, de Bry hailed from the portion of Flanders then controlled by Spain. The de Brys were a family of jewelers and engravers, and young Theodor was trained in those artisanal trades.
As a Lutheran, however, his life and livelihood were threatened when the Spanish Inquisition cracked down on non-Catholics. De Bry was banished and his goods seized in 1570. He fled to Strasbourg, where he studied under the Huguenot engraver Etienne Delaune. He also traveled to Antwerp, London, and Frankfurt, where he settled with his family.
In 1590, de Bry began to publish his Les Grands Voyages, which would eventually stretch to thirty volumes released by de Bry and his two sons. The volumes contained not only important engraved images of the New World, the first many had seen of the geographic novelties, but also several important maps. He also published a collection focused on India Orientalis. Les Grands Voyages was published in German, Latin, French, and English, extending de Bry’s fame and his view of the New World.
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