Florence Eleanor Paget sketchbook and herbaria, 1900-1910
Scope and Contents
Florence Eleanor Paget (1887-1965) was a professional nature illustrator and artist from England who studied under George Vernon Stokes, a British wildlife and landscape artist. She made these books when she was a young woman, roughly between 1900 and 1910.
One oblong linen book is labeled "Sketches" in pencil on the rear cover, and the owner's signature is on the pastedown in the front of the book. Paget likely drew in the "Sketches" book when she was twelve or thirteen. The book has forty drawings in pencil and watercolors. The subjects include landscapes like Redcar Pier, Saltburn Cliffs, Kew Gardens, Etal Church, and Etal Castle, as well as many sketches of her dogs, observations of people, fruit, and fauna. Some drawings have captions that identify the place or provide a funny caption.
The other is an oblong publisher's cloth binding in green with "Flora" stamped in gilt. The book was likely created five to ten years after the "Sketches" book. Dried flowers and plants are artfully pasted down and numbered. She wrote the binomial names in cursive, opposite of the pasted-down plants. There are a total of six total entries.
The books are mainly written in English, except for one sketch with a caption in French and the Flora books with scientific names in Latin.
Dates
- Creation: 1900-1910
Creator
Conditions Governing Access
The Flora herbarium is restricted due to its fragility. A digitized version is available for viewing. If you need to see the physical copy, please send a request through our online request portal: https://library.virginia.edu/special-collections/services/reference-request. The sketchbook is availble for research.
Conditions Governing Use
The Flora herbarium is restricted due to its fragility. A digitized version is available for viewing. If you need to see the physical copy, please send a request through our online request portal: https://library.virginia.edu/special-collections/services/reference-request.
Full Extent
0.13 Cubic Feet (one legal-sized file folder and one small flat box) ; 9 X 1.5 X 11.5 inches
Language of Materials
English
French
Latin
Immediate Source of Acquisition
This collection was a purchase from Marginalia Rare Books to the Small Special Collections Library at the University of Virginia Library on 9 August 2024.
Repository Details
Part of the Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library Repository
Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library
P.O. Box 400110
University of Virginia
Charlottesville Virginia 22904-4110 United States