The Nature Notes of an Edwardian Lady

by Edith Holden

This entirely new diary is composed in a similar style to the Country Diary, with Edith Holden's thoughts, anecdotes, and writings interspersed with poetry, mottoes, and her exquisite watercolor paintings of flowers, plants, birds, butterflies and landscape scenes.

Genres: Nonfiction, Nature, Poetry, Art, Gardening, Natural History, Memoir

192 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1905

About the author

Edith Blackwell Holden (September 26, 1871 – March 16, 1920) was born at Kings Norton, Worcester, in 1871, one of seven children of a Midlands paint manufacturer. The family lived in the small village of Olton in Warwickshire and it was there that she wrote and illustrated her book, The Country Diary of An Edwardian Lady. After attending art school, she worked as an illustrator, with her drawings (often of animals) being published in several books.

She later moved to London, and in 1911 met and married Ernest Smith, a sculptor; they lived in Chelsea, and had no children. On March 16th 1920, in her 49th year, Edith died tragically by drowning in the Thames at Kew, while gathering buds from chestnut trees.

Reviews

[Melody Schwarting · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Nature Notes of an Edwardian Lady is the companion to The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady, and indeed is the account of the previous year in Holden's life. The publishers went in a different direction with this one, printing Holden's handwritten quotations and notes, only giving facsimiles of her art. Her handwriting is idiosyncratic but not that hard to read (it's not cursive script) and the printed letters lose a lot of the charm that the full facsimile had. Yet, the cover tells me that the publishers chose to do this because she did not do a second draft of those portions like she did with Country Diary.

That aside, the content is quite equal to the first--Holden's art is exceedingly lovely, especially wildlife. Since her work explores the natural world in each month, I like reading her work at this time of year, when the world seems bland and dead. (It isn't, it just requires more attention. I saw a bald eagle the other day! In my little metropolitan suburb!)

Thanks to Coco for alerting me to the existence of this book!

[Omaira · Rating 5 out of 5]

Como dije en mi foto-reseña, conocí a Edith Holden cuando entré en contacto con Beatrix Potter, y desde entonces deseé hacerme con su diario ilustrado. La felicidad de vivir con la naturaleza (The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady;1906) es un libro único, tan como diario como libro ilustrado, en el que vive la ilustración animal y vegetal, la descripción naturalista y la poesía de forma completamente armónica.

La felicidad de vivir con la naturaleza está dividido en doce entradas que comprenden los doce meses del año. Sirviéndose de ellos, Edith Holden nos habla de la vegetación de Olton, de los alados visitante de la región y de sus distintas aventuras en bicicleta por el condado de Warwickshire y durante su pequeño viaje estival a regiones escocesas. Así nos va introduciendo en su microcosmos repleto de flores y animales retratados con gran realismo y maestría empleando únicamente la acuarela como técnica.

Como ilustradora puedo decir que me sorprendió el nivel de detalle de algunas de las ilustraciones, especialmente las de vegetación, pues fueron reproducidas en el tamaño original que fueron pintadas. La acuarela tiene la ventaja y la desventaja que es muy rápido trabajar con ella, por eso mismo si no te adaptas a sus tiempos puede arruinarte una ilustración cuando ya estás puliendo detalles. Pero todas las ilustraciones de Holden demuestran un gran dominio del lenguaje de la acuarela, cualidad que sentimos innata en los artistas ingleses decimonónicos.

Personalmente también he disfrutado bastante del apartado poético, pues he entrado por primera vez en contacto con poetas que hacia tiempo que quería leer. El libro está repleto de poesías de Edmund Spenser, Norman Gale, Tennyson, Christina Rossetti, Elizabeth Browning, Wordsworth, Byron y Keats, poetas que sin duda fueron referenciales para la autora. Sumado a esto, hay pequeñas entradas de diario en las que hace referencia a sus entrañables paseos, los descubrimientos realizados durante éstos y los cambios meteorológicos a lo largo del mes.

Es un libro precioso que transmite un gran cariño por la naturaleza con un aura única que nos lleva durante su lectura a ese tiempo en el que fue concebido.

[Andrea Renfrow · Rating 5 out of 5]

It took us all year, as we read each excerpt for the dates they were written for, but we loved this book. It makes for a beautiful read aloud and introduction to the concept of nature journaling. Kiddo has kept her own nature journal throughout the year and in my own personal, motherly, opinion hers is equally as beautiful. I highly recommend encouraging children to keep this sort of daily/ weekly habit.

[Myriam · Rating 4 out of 5]

De très belles aquarelles.

[E R I C A · Rating 5 out of 5]

Don’t mind me. I’ll just be in the woods working on my watercolors and reciting whimsical sonnets to myself.

[J · Rating 3 out of 5]

Both books The Nature Notes of an Edwardian Lady and The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady were recommended to me based on the subject matter. And if there is one thing that I can truly appreciate about the United Kingdom is they seem unmatched at least at the moment to me for naturalist-based journals, especially from older times.

The first struggle that I had with these books was basically trying to figure out which one came first since from title alone the reader wouldn't be able to easily guess which book follows which. The Nature Notes of an Edwardian Lady seems to have been taken from notes from the year 1905 while The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady came from the year 1906. But in reading the blurb at the back there still seemed to be some confusion as well with the two books.

Between the two books there are a lot of similarities as well as some noticeable differences. In the case of Nature Notes the book is much smaller in content and with more space put between the entries. At the same time the author takes up more room with the poetry that is interspersed through the pages as well as full frontal nature scenes that are breathtaking to look at along with more animal subjects. Less consideration is given to the scientific names with just the common names being presented besides the brightly painted specimens and more room provided to the Saints' days at the start of the introduction for each month.

In Country Notes the book is provided more to her diary entries, which there are more of, and a much keener eye towards identifying her specimens. As such I felt the titles could have easily been switched without either one having anything taken away from the books as a result. The font is also a replica of Edith Holden's handwriting thus proving the reader with a bit more of an authentic feel as you read her thoughts and adventures out in the British countryside.

Otherwise each book's chapters are the months. The reader is provided with the name of the month, the origins of that name, some proverbs related to that month and also Saints' Days although by the time of Country Diary only the most important and observed have been noted. Along with the diary entries are various poems included that either capture the specimen or the atmosphere of the month while a few were written by the diarist herself.

All in all if you are looking for a simple read and one that isn't as detailed then the first book would most definitely be the better choice. But if you like a fully rounded read than I would truly recommend both books as they allow you access to a wider array of subjects, more access to this artist's world and a dressing down of really how little we know in comparison to what our ancestors knew with their lack of our technological wonders all around them.

[Lize · Rating 4 out of 5]

From 1905 (my copy is a reprint from 1989, so it’s ‘handleable’, which I might not have tried with an original), this book is lovely just to thumb through, with the author’s glorious watercolors printed in full color. It’s even lovelier to read. It’s broken down by months for a calendar year. Each month includes folk-lore about the month (“If the 24th of August be fair and clear, hope for a prosperous Autumn that year.”), and her descriptions of walks she took and what she saw, as well as the watercolor illustrations on almost every page. There are even poems here and there, both the author’s and more famous offerings by Robert Browning, Tennyson, Wordsworth and others, some reprinted in her own handwriting.

"March 19th. Radiant spring morning. Walked to Baddesley Clinton by Tangle Lane, found quantities of prim-roses in blossom along the lane and on the sheltered banks of a pool. Sat on a felled beech trunk and watched the bees busy round the willow catkins, yellow with pollen; Noticed a great many hive-bees among them. Heard some turtle-doves cooing and watched a pair of mag-pies gathering sticks for their nest in the top of an oak-tree on the pool bank. Noticed the White Poplar trees in blossom."

I think what I loved the most was the glimpse into another world, one where walking in nature with a sketchbook was a worthy enough pastime to merit a book. There’s a quiet beauty in her words; one day she describes spending hours watching a pair of birds ferrying in beakfuls of caterpillars, and is finally rewarded by a glimpse of their nest, with five baby birds inside. I felt as though I were right there with her. She would have enjoyed my season raising Monarch butterflies in my back garden.

The author’s own story is fascinating, with a tragic ending:

(From the flyleaf) Edith Holden was born in Moseley in the parish of King’s Norton, Worcester, in 1871, one of seven children of a Midlands paint manufacturer. The family lived in Warwickshire in the village of Knowle and it was there that she started to write and illustrate this book. She moved later in 1905 to the small village of Olton where she wrote Nature Notes 1906, published as The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady. After attending art school, she worked as an illustrator, with her drawings (often of animals) being published in several books.

In 1911 she met and married Ernest Smith, a sculptor. They lived in Chelsea and had no children. On 16 March 1920, in her forty-ninth year, Edith died tragically by drowning in the Thames at Kew, while gathering buds from a chestnut tree.”

[Karen GoatKeeper · Rating 5 out of 5]

At one time keeping a journal was something many people did. Young ladies were taught to draw and paint and sing and play music. They didn't have careers, but stayed home.
Edith Holden loved nature and watercolor. She was an accomplished nature illustrator. This shows in her Nature Notes journal.
The journal has notes of places the author goes, what she sees there. Other writing is about each month and poems on the topic both by established poets and by the author.
Anyone wanting to improve their watercolor technique should study the illustrations. They range from plant and animal studies to landscapes.
This is an enjoyable book to browse through a few pages at a time giving time to reflect on the poems and study the illustrations. It reflects an England no longer seen.

[Stuart Botham · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a beautiful book. The Nature Notes of an Edwardian Lady is the predecessor to Holden’s The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady. It is her diary on the personal observations on wildlife and nature with stunning watercolours and poems. This is a real treasure that you can dip into certain months or revisit the whole calendar year.

[MKF · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unlike her other book this one was more readable. There is no difficult handwriting to deciper and the pages weren't crammed with a lot of different things like poetry. The art of course is again the best part of this book with birds, plants, and so much more.

[Daniela Torrisi · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Datemi la vita che amo,
Lasciate che il resto mi scorra accanto,
Sopra di me datemi cieli di gioia,
E strade di campagna.
Un letto tra i cespugli e stelle come tetto,
Pane da inzuppare nel fiume.
Questa è la vita per un uomo come me,
Questa per sempre è la mia vita".
R.L. STEVENSON

[Sally · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would give this book 5+ stars for the beautiful watercolors of plants, birds, and butterflies but I didn't care for the poetry.

[Maureen · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are some stunning illustrations and some gorgeous poetry in this book. I will return to it as the seasons pass.

[Kari · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very sweet book full of musings, poetry and illustration based on each calendar month.

[Liz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lovely illustrations.

[Kennedy Snead · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved her illustration’s so much! I can see this as a book you come back to every month for inspiration

[Annie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've enjoyed reading this over the course of the year. Such beautiful illustrations.

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Following a year in the English countryside with poetry, beautiful scientific illustrations, and folklore for each month, this book invites the reader to ramble through the seasons with the author.

[Linda C · Rating 4 out of 5]

Edith Holden kept this journal of daily walks through nature watching the seasons change and the plants come to life. She comments on the life of the birds as they pass through her environment, nest and raise families. Interspersed are related poems and watercolors she has valued and produced, respectively. Beautiful quiet description of her walks through nature.

[Laura · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was torn on how to rate this, and decided ultimately not to rate it. While I loved Edith Holden's sketches and paintings as much as I had in "The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady"; I could not read the journal notes. For some reason the publisher re-did all of the journal notes in a typed font, rather than leaving her original writing as the first book did. The notes in her own writing really brings her voice to things; and having it all in type takes away from the book. Having read the first book, I found it jarring enough that it took me out of her notes. Bad move by the publisher in my opinion. However, if you love nature journals, it is still worth a look as the paintings are lovely.

[Rachel L. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyable, though not as good as the Country Diary. Some of this one is typeset whereas all of the Country Diary is handwritten, since apparently Edith Holden didn't finish the final edited version of the Nature Notes. Or something like that. Interesting to note that this one contains some of her original poetry.

[Innastholiel · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Nature Notes of an Edwardian Lady is like a mixture between a scrapbook and a diary. The layout is wonderful; it is a beautifully made book, but I am not one for poetry (and there are a lot of poems included in this book), and I’d also have loved some more information about the original manuscript in the form of a fore- or afterword.

[Janet · Rating 3 out of 5]

Been reading this for ages; each month as reaching it on the calendar and have finally finished. Interesting for the things that have changed since it was written, loads of things I didn't recognise from the names given and have looked up. So have actually learned quite a lot about the countryside.

[Sarah Louise · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a pleasure and joy. The artwork is stunning and between her day to day observations and the poetry that inspired her I truly felt a kinship with Edith. transported to her Edwardian England I didn't want to leave.
Highly recommend to all art lovers, history lovers and nature lovers.

[Allison Roy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely book, filled with mostly lovely nature water colors (like pictures on the right) and spattered with famous poetry and nature notes. Lovely book. Picked this up at a crazy huge antique shop in Vermont 📚🌾

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

So beautiful! But also so dull. Will treasure this as part of my art book collection rather than as part of my nature writing collection. Perhaps I'll consider it to join my nature guides, too, but for the writing itself, I just cannot give a higher rating...

[Brittany Ballarta]

Love all of Edith Holden's books!

[Charlie Trafford]

Lovely book, beautiful pictures.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very inspiring book! <3

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a companion to The Country Diary by Edith Holden. It is just as lovely.