author
Edwin C. (Edwin Costley) Jellett
1860–1929
A devoted chronicler of Germantown’s plants, gardens, and history, this Philadelphia writer brought together a naturalist’s eye and a local historian’s affection. His books preserve the character of a changing neighborhood through close observation and lively detail.
1 Audiobook
Germantown old and new : Its rare and notable plants
by Edwin C. (Edwin Costley) Jellett
About the author
Born in Philadelphia in 1860, Edwin Costley Jellett was an engineer, botanist, gardener, photographer, artist, and diarist whose writing centered on Germantown, the historic Philadelphia neighborhood he knew so well. He became known for recording both its natural life and its local past, giving equal care to old homes, notable residents, and the changing flora of the area.
Jellett wrote books and articles about Germantown and its environment, including work on its gardens and rare plants. Archive descriptions of his papers and later historical writing both portray him as an active local historian and amateur botanist, especially involved with Germantown’s horticultural and historical circles.
He died in 1929, but his work still stands as a vivid record of place. For readers interested in regional history, gardens, and the meeting point between nature writing and local memory, his books offer a thoughtful portrait of Northwest Philadelphia in an earlier era.