Elizabeth Blackwell Melon Journal — 1739 Curious Herbal Notebook

In the 1730s, when botanical illustration was dominated by men and a Scottish woman named Elizabeth Blackwell found herself in desperate circumstances, she did something remarkable: she 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. It became one of the most important botanical works of the eighteenth century.

This journal carries two plates from that extraordinary project. The front cover features Blackwell’s 1739 illustration The citrul or water-melon — the fruit, leaves, flowers, and vine rendered with the scientific accuracy and artistic grace that defined her work. The back cover presents her 1739 plate Melon, depicted with the same meticulous attention to botanical detail. Both illustrations were drawn from life, engraved on copper, and hand-colored by Blackwell herself — a woman who mastered three distinct crafts in the service of a single, urgent purpose.

Product Details

• Format: Hardcover 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: 100 g
• Cover: Matte laminated full-wrap print
• Front cover: Elizabeth Blackwell, The citrul or water-melon (1739)
• Back cover: Elizabeth Blackwell, Melon (1739)
• Source: A Curious Herbal (1737–1739)

Perfect For

• Gardeners and fruit enthusiasts
• 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
• A beautiful gift for those who love botanical herbals and women in science

The Story Behind the Illustrations

The woman who drew, engraved, and colored these plates by herself — and why her herbal became one of the most important botanical works of the 18th century — read the full story on our blog →