Special Collections
Marjorie Blamey Collection
Marjorie Blamey MBE (b.1918 d.2019) was Britain’s ‘most prolific’ botanical illustrator. Marjorie became an illustrator in her 40s, having moved near to Liskeard, Cornwall after the war and rediscovered a passion for drawing. She illustrated many important books, including the Collin’s Field Guide to Wildflowers. Majorie’s family gifted her index of thousands of unique illustrations to the Charles Seale-Hayne Library on permanent loan.
More details on Marjorie’s life and work can be found in her obituary by the Guardian and on Wikipedia.
Here is a selection of some of the books to which she contributed her illustrations, and in some cases, text as well:
- Cottage gardens (1969) Roy Genders
- Scented Wild Flowers of Britain (1971) Roy Genders
- Food for Free (1972) Richard Mabey
- Wild Flowers of Britain and Northern Europe (1974) Marjorie Blamey, Richard Fitter and Alistair Fitter
- Magnolias (1978) Neil G. Treseder
- Alpine Flowers of Britain and Europe (1979) Chris Grey-Wilson and Margaret Blamey
- Marjorie Blamey's Flowers of the Countryside (1980) Marjorie Blamey
- Bulbs. The Bulbous Plants of Europe and their allies. (1981) Chris Grey-Wilson and Brian Mathew
- Fruits, Nuts and Berries (1984) Philip Blamey and Marjorie Blamey
- The Illustrated Flora of Britain and Northern Europe (1989) Marjorie Blamey and Chris Grey-Wilson
- Mediterranean Wild Flowers (1993) Marjorie Blamey and Chris Grey-Wilson
- Marjorie Blamey's Wild Flowers by Colour (1997) Marjorie Blamey
- Painting Flowers (1998) Marjorie Blamey
- Wild Flowers of Britain and Ireland (2003) Marjorie Blamey, Richard Fitter and Alistair Fitter
