An even earlier life restoration of a sauropod (1885)

Very belatedly, I come to an email from Joe Parish, who on 8 March — a full month ago — emailed me to draw my attention to a life reconstruction of Camarasaurus that was published in 1880: one year earlier than the 1886 “atlantosaur” by Jules Blanadet that we thought was the oldest. The new record-holder appeared in both the New York edition and the London edition of Holder (1885:plate XVIII), and here it is: I’ve not been able to figure out who the artist is — can anyone help? Unfortunately, Holder had very little to say about this illustration: here’s the whole of the relevant text (Holder 1885:107): Even more remarkable than the above [mosasaurs including Clidastes] were the Amphicoelias and Camarasaurus (Plate XVIII.), the former attaining a length of one hundred feet, and the latter seventy-five — gigantic serpentine reptiles that floated in shallow waters, anchored by their ponderous tail and legs. It’s a shame there’s no more discussion, because this is a fascinating piece. The…