Women Of Flowers: A Tribute to Victorian Women Illustrators [Hardcover]

Jack Kramer (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1, 2005

Jack Kramer’s Women of Flowers: A Tribute to Victorian Women Illustrators was published in 1996 by Stewart, Tabori and Chang in a large format and was immediately honored with an award of excellence from the Garden Writers Association of America. Now in a mini edition, this remarkable illustrated book allows us to venture back to the Golden Age of Illustration so that we may discover the work and personalities of the women who were previously unnamed. Susan Fenimore Cooper wrote books about the flora and fauna of upstate New York in the 1850s while living in service to her famous father, James. Mrs. E.W. Wirt, the mother of twelve, compiled and illustrated books about flowers to amuse and educate her children. Elizabeth Blackwell drew 500 botanical plates to raise money to free her husband from debtor’s prison. These are only a few of the artists we call Women of Flowers. Since the early 1970s, horticultural expert Jack Kramer has been collecting works by Victorian women artists. Women of Flowers is his tribute to those women who received so little credit in their own day and age. Over 150 floral paintings and prints illustrate the life stories of 35 women artists from America, England, Germany, and France. In this elegant and charming gift book, hundreds of dazzling full-color floral paintings and botanical prints illustrate the fascinating life stories of Victorian women artists who made tremendous contributions to the art and science of botany. Most received little or no recognition for their work due to the patriarchal Victorian society that they lived in. Women of Flowers pays homage to these remarkable artists in a volume that compiles not only their history and biographies but also some of their best work.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The stories of thirty near- anonymous women artists, accompanied by each women’s floral paintings, are brief and fascinating." -- The Boston Globe

From the Publisher

Women of Flowers gives these women artists the attention they deserve, in a book of exceptional and charm.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Welcome Books (February 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1932183485
• ISBN-13: 978-1932183481
• Product Dimensions: 5.9 x 1.2 x 7.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,755,247 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great tribute to talented Victorian women botanical artists, May 20, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Women of Flowers (Hardcover)

Along with the stories of these brilliant women artists and beautiful renditions of their artwork are sprinkled Victorian flower language, poems and quotes that make this an exquisite tabletop book that your guests will not be able to put down. Most of these talented women never received honors while they lived because in their day, women were not given their worth. Many of these ladies used male pseudonyms just to stay employed. A beautiful compliment for those that appreciate the language of herbs and flowers.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Women of Flowers, January 22, 2007

By 

A. Reichert (USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Women Of Flowers: A Tribute to Victorian Women Illustrators (Hardcover)

The book is the one I expected. I had seen it at the public library. BUT the size was a surprise. I expected a much larger book. This one is 6" by 7", much too small to enjoy the paintings of flowers and difficult to read the print.