It was on a visit to the United States that Alice Lounsberry (1873-1949) of Boston, some 25 years younger, introduced herself to Australian painter Ellis Rowan. Lounsberry convinced Rowan to travel with her for two years, providing illustrations for three books she wrote on native plants: “A Guide to the Wild Flowers” (1899), “A Guide to Trees” (1900), and “Southern Wild Flowers and Trees” (1901).
At the turn of the 20th century, it was an adventure, especially for two women, to be exploring the rural parts of the southeast. In “Southern Wild Flower and Trees,” Lounsberry writes “Mrs. Rowan and I travelled in many parts of the south, exercising always our best blandishments to get the people of the section to talk with us. Through the mountainous region we drove from cabin to cabin, and nowhere could we have met with greater kindness and hospitality.” The illustrations include plates in color, many black and white diagrams, and some delightful vignettes, typically showing native plants in the context of a larger landscape.
They were a good team. Lounsberry provided detailed botanic structure along with engaging observations of her subjects and their natural history, while Rowan’s artwork found a new audience. Together, their books were very popular.
Excerpted from the Winter 2019 Arboretum Bulletin