In honor of Women’s History Month, Art and Nature: The Works of Margaret Armstrong presents some of the book cover designs and the botanical explorations of Margaret Armstrong (1867-1944). Though she was later better-known as an author of biographies and mystery novels, Armstrong is now celebrated as one of the foremost book cover artists of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Less well-known is her “Western Wildflowers,” the first illustrated flora of the Western United States. Visit our exhibition cases to learn more about this remarkable artist and plant collector.
Margaret Armstrong
Strawberry Shrub—Calycanthus occidentalis
ink on Bristol board, July 22, 1912.
Creating this exhibition was an absolute joy, and I am so grateful to those who helped me put it together. Most importantly, thank you to Kelsey Miller, who was my partner in turning the exhibition idea in my brain into something concrete. Thanks to Laura Briscoe for helping me select, present, and describe the herbarium specimens on display in this exhibition. Thank you also to Kristine Paulus, for supplementing the Mertz Library collection with some relevant volumes of Armstrong’s works that we did not have before. Thanks to Catherine Stephens for installing the exhibition with Kelsey, and thanks to Samantha D’Acunto for helping me create my first exhibition, and also for helping me put together this Libguide.
-Zachary Rosalinsky, Special Collections Catalog Librarian
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