author
Ellen Miller
1854–1929
A painter, designer, and needleworker, this late-19th-century artist helped turn a love of wildflowers and historic craft into one of Deerfield's best-known Arts and Crafts ventures. She is also remembered as the co-author and illustrator of a beautifully detailed guide to northeastern wildflowers.
1 Audiobook
Wild flowers of the north-eastern states : Being three hundred and eight individuals common to the north-eastern United States
by Ellen Miller, Margaret C. (Margaret Christine) Whiting
About the author
Born in 1854, she became known as an American painter, designer, author, and needleworker whose work bridged art, botany, and decorative craft. She studied with Margaret C. Whiting at the Art Students League in New York, and the two collaborators went on to publish Wild Flowers of the North-Eastern States in 1895, a botanical guide noted for its illustrations as well as its text.
After moving to Deerfield, Massachusetts, in 1893, she and Whiting founded the Deerfield Society of Blue and White Needlework in 1896. There she created many of the society's embroidery designs and became especially known for her skill with vegetable dyes, helping shape the look and reputation of the group.
She died in 1929, leaving behind a body of work that connects American Arts and Crafts design with a close observation of the natural world. For listeners drawn to artists who moved easily between fine art, handmade craft, and nature writing, her story has a quiet appeal.