Elizabeth Blackwell (illustrator)

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Illustration from A Curious Herbal

Illustration from Herbarium Blackwellianum

Elizabeth Blackwell (1707^[1] –1758), was a Scottish botanical illustrator and author. She achieved fame as a botanical illustrator, and was both artist and engraver for the plates of "A Curious Herbal", published between 1737 and 1739. The book illustrated many odd-looking and unknown plants from the New World, and was designed as a reference work on medicinal plants for the use of physicians and apothecaries.

1 Biography
2 Featured at the British Library
3 Publications
4 External links
5 References

[edit] Biography

Aberdeen

Elizabeth Blachrie, was the daughter of a successful Scottish merchant in Aberdeen, and was trained as an artist. She secretly married her cousin, Alexander Blackwell (1709-47), a Scottish doctor and economist^[2] and settled in Aberdeen where he maintained a medical practice. Although his education was sound, his qualifications were questioned, leading to the young couple’s hasty move to London, fearing charges that Alexander was practicing illegally.

London

In London Alexander became associated with a publishing firm, and having gained some experience, established his own printing house, despite not belonging to a guild nor having served the required apprenticeship as a printer. He was charged with flouting the strict trade rules, and heavily fined, forcing him to close his shop.

Prison

By now Elizabeth was destitute. Because of Alexander’s lavish spending and the fines that had been imposed, the couple were heavily in debt - Alexander found himself in debtor’s prison. With her husband in gaol, a household to run, a child to care for, and with no income, the situation was desperate. She learned that a herbal was needed to depict and describe exotic plants from the New World. She decided that she could illustrate it, and that Alexander, given his medical background, could write the descriptions of the plants. As she completed the drawings, Elizabeth would take them to her husband’s cell where he supplied the correct names in Latin, Greek, Italian, Spanish, Dutch, and German.

Unlike her husband, Elizabeth was untrained in botany. To compensate for this, she was aided by Isaac Rand, then curator of the Chelsea Physick Garden, where many of these new plants were under cultivation. At Rand’s suggestion, she relocated near the Garden so she could draw the plants from life. In addition to the drawings, Elizabeth engraved the copper printing plates for the 500 images and text, and hand-coloured the printed illustrations.

The first printing of A Curious Herbal met with moderate success, both because of the meticulous quality of the illustrations and the great need for an updated herbal. Physicians and apothecaries acclaimed the work, and it received a commendation from the Royal College of Physicians. A second edition was printed 20 years later in a revised and enlarged format in Nuremberg by Dr. Christoph Jacob Trew, a botanist and physician, between 1757 and 1773.

Revenue from the book led to Alexander’s release from prison. However, within a short while debts again accumulated, forcing the couple to sell some of the publication rights to the book. Alexander also became involved in several unsuccessful business ventures, and eventually left the family to start a new life in Sweden.

Sweden

Blackwell arrived in Sweden in 1742 and carried on with agricultural experiments he had started when in Aberdeen. These included the breeding of horses and sheep, and dairy management. His achievements were recognised, and he was appointed court physician to Frederick I of Sweden. Blackwell attempted to strengthen the diplomatic ties between Great Britain, Denmark and Sweden. As Great Britain had no ambassador in Sweden, he contacted a Minister in Denmark. On circumstantial evidence he was accused of conspiracy against the Crown Prince. He was tried and sentenced to be decapitated. He remained in good spirits to the last - at the block, having laid his head wrong, he remarked that since it was his first beheading, he lacked experience and needed instruction. On 9th August 1747 he was executed as Elizabeth was leaving London to join him.^[3]

Little is known of Elizabeth's later years. She died in 1758, and her grave is in a Chelsea cemetery. She remained loyal to Alexander throughout, even sharing royalties with him from the sale of additional book rights.

[edit] Featured at the British Library

Elizabeth Blackwell's "A Curious Herbal" has recently featured on the British Library website as a "classic of botanical illustration". The book is available to view online using the Turning the Pages system.^[4]

[edit] Publications

A curious herbal: containing five hundred cuts, of the most useful plants, which are now used in the practice of physick engraved on folio copper plates, after drawings taken from the life / by Elizabeth Blackwell. To which is added a short description of ye plants and their common uses in physick. (London, 1737-1739), her great herbal, which contained engravings drawn from specimens in the Chelsea Physic Garden