Elizabeth Blackwell Melon Journal — 1739 Curious Herbal

In the 1730s, Elizabeth Blackwell — a Scottish woman in desperate circumstances — taught herself to draw, engrave, and hand-color botanical plates with scientific precision. The result was A Curious Herbal (1737–1739): 500 illustrations of medicinal plants, every one drawn, engraved, and colored by her alone, created to pay her husband's debts and secure his release from prison. This journal carries two of those plates: the front cover features her 1739 illustration The citrul or water-melon — fruit, leaves, flowers, and vine rendered with botanical accuracy and artistic grace; the back presents her 1739 Melon plate, depicted with the same meticulous attention to detail.

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Product Details

• Format: Hardcover lined journal
• Pages: 150 lined pages (75 sheets) with perforations for easy removal
• Binding: Casewrap sewn binding — flexible and lay-flat
• Dimensions: 5.75 × 8 inches
• Weight: Approximately 250 g (0.55 lbs)
• Cover: Matte laminated full-wrap print

Perfect For

• Gardeners and fruit enthusiasts who love botanical art
• Botanical art lovers and herbal medicine practitioners
• Women's history collectors and feminist art enthusiasts
• 18th-century illustration fans and medical history collectors
• Anyone who appreciates Elizabeth Blackwell's pioneering work in botanical science
• A beautiful gift for those who love botanical herbals and women in science