The shell craze was further hyped with the publication of British Conchology, a five volume set of books written by the lawyer John Gwyn Jeffreys (1809–1885) and which managed to combine scientific exactitude with delicate, informative historical commentary. Published between 1862 and 1869, and beautifully illustrated by the conchological artist George Sowerby (1812–1884), British Conchology would not be bettered during the Victorian era and it remains a usable and readable resource to this day.[3]