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Mary Eaton (1873-1961) Mary E. Eaton (1873-1961) was an accomplished botanical artist. Born in Gloucestershire, England, she studied art at the Taunton School of Art in Somerset and the Royal College of Art, London. Later she was employed at the Royal Worcester Porcelain Company. In 1909 she travelled to Jamaica to visit her brother and sister and remained there for 2 years. During this time she became fascinated by the exotic butterflies and moths that she found on the island and so started to record her observations in watercolours. In 1911 she left Jamaica to visit friends in New York and enjoyed living there so much that she extended her stay for many years. During this time her artistic skills were recognised by the New York Botanical Garden who employed her as an artist until 1932. During her employment by the New York Botanical Garden she prepared many hundreds of illustrations for the Garden’s periodical Addisonia. She also produced many of the paintings and line drawings used to illustrate a monumental book on the cactus family of plants The Cactaceae: descriptions and illustrations of Plants of the Cactus family (1919-1923) by N.L. Britton and J.N. Rose. Eaton also provided scientific illustrations for the National Geographic Magazine and Contributions from the United States National Herbarium. Miss Eaton later returned to England and died in
Somerset in 1961.
This watercolour is of the common greenbrier (Smilax rotundifolia). A member of the Smilacaceae family it is native to the Eastern United States. It is found in open woods, thickets and roadsides and climbs other plants using its tendrils.
The Mary Eaton Drawings Collection The Library at the Natural History Museum holds a collection of Drawings of North American plants donated by Miss Eaton on November 16 1955. It consists of 200 drawings and is organised by plant family. In addition to the Eaton collection of drawings
of North American plants, the Natural History Museum
also holds a collection of 30 watercolours of butterflies
and moths from Jamaica, 1909-1910. Other collections
of Eaton’s work are held by the National Geographic
Society, the New York Botanical Garden and the Smithsonian
Institution in the United States
Exhibition and publication details This drawing has not previously been on public
display.
References and further reading Clements, S and Gracie, C. (2006) Wildflowers in the field and forest : a field guide to the northeastern United States. Oxford University Press : New York. 445pp. Mitich, Larry W. (2000) Mary Emily Eaton, a gifted botanical artist. Haseltonia, No. 7, pp.24-29
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