Home Objects George Eliot, her early home, Illustrated by Patty Townsend

George Eliot, her early home, Illustrated by Patty Townsend

Brown book cover. Title, George Eliot, Her early home is typed in gold within a green label on the front. Inner pages of an open book. Handwritten on the inside is the inscription, To my mother and father with their daughter Patty's best love. Patty Townsend was one of the book's illustrators. An colour illustration showing a bustling market scene with covered stalls and lots of people. In the foreground is a woman and child wearing bonnets and aprons and carrying baskets. The words Market Day at Milby are shown at the bottom with the signature G.G.Kilburne. Inner page of a book. At the top there is a black and white illustration of timber framed buildings with smoking chimneys. Some figures can be seen in the foreground. Under the illustration is the title, Abbey Gate, Nuneaton. Beneath this title is an excerpt from George Eliot's story, Janet's Repentance. Inner page from the book. At the top is a colour illustration showing a large house with a number of windows smoking chimneys. The walls are covered in ivy. In the foreground is a garden and the house is framed by trees. A figure can be seen in the foreground. Beneath the illustration is the title, What life said to the poet and a number of verses, (Self and Life) is written in brackets under the verses. Inner page from the book. A page length colour illustration showing a number of people sitting in a church service. In the foreground is a woman holding a book, wearing a hat, dress and shawl and carrying a bag. Behind her is a child standing on the bench seat. She is wearing a dress and hat. Signed G.G.Kilburne. Beneath the illustration is a quote and is brackets (Vide 'Amos Barton') Inner page from the book. Full page colour illustration of a girl sitting on the door step to a house, the door is open to reveal the interior of a small room. The girl is apparently singing. It is signed G.G.Kilburne. Benarth is a quote. Inner page from the book. Black and white illustration showing a canal surrounded by trees and shrubs. A building can be seen in the background and a figure to the left hand side. Underneath is the title Shepperton Canal and the signature of Patty Townsend. Beneath are verses from George Eliot's poem. Brother and Sister
Date
1891
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This is one of the most popular items in the library collection and is illustrated by several artists including Patty Townsend a local artist who was married to a wealthy businessman Fielding Johnson. It’s “chocolate box” style gives a romanticised view of Eliot’s Nuneaton, showing faint glimmers of the changing industrial landscape in only a few of the scenes. It shows the places and people that inspired her early stories. Published by the famous postcard company Raphael Tuck, this copy has an inscription by Patty Townsend to her parents and so is particularly special.

This short film about the book was created for the Unscripted project, exploring creative responses to the collection.

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