The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady
Natural History Botanical Art Nature Writing Edwardian History Diary & Journals Wildlife Illustration Country Life Gift & Coffee-Table Books
The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady is a lush, full-colour facsimile of Edith Holden’s 1906 nature notebook, capturing the changing seasons in Warwickshire with the eye of both artist and naturalist. Every page is hand-lettered and ornamented with her own water-colours of wild flowers, birds, butterflies and country lore, giving modern readers an immersive glimpse into Edwardian rural life long before Instagram or field guides. Because this 2000 Penguin hardback is printed on high-grade stock and cased in a sturdy jacket, the delicate hues of the originals stay crisp, making it equally suited to the reference shelf or the coffee-table.
Collectors prize the edition for its faithful 1:1 reproduction size (236 mm tall) and the absence of later retouching, so foxgloves, kingfishers and handwritten recipes appear exactly as Holden saw them. At 192 pages and 778 g it feels substantial in the hand, yet the sewn binding opens flat for sketching or pressing leaves. The book is clean, tight and unmarked, a “very good” vintage copy that slips easily into a botanical library or a gift pile for gardeners, art-lovers and YA nature enthusiasts.
Beyond beauty, the diary is a working reference: dated entries list when primrose, hawthorn or lapwing nest, making it a century-old phenology record now valued by climate historians. Whether you want painting inspiration, authentic period social history, or simply a calming country escape, Holden’s charming month-by-month chronicle delivers it in one elegant, heirloom-quality volume.
Refer to our eBay listing for a full condition report and many more high-quality pictures of this item.
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