Flowers of thought culled from nature’s garden. (Presentation copy)

[Sydney] : Tyrrell’s Book Shop, circa 1918. Small folio, card wrappers with pasted on title label in the shape of a leaf, printed image of a butterfly on lower wrapper, edges chipped with some loss, presentation inscription to the preliminary blank from the author in ink, pp. 52 occasional light foxing, stain to lower margin of first few leaves, illustrations by Ina Gregory. A very good copy of a very scarce book.

A charming book of poetry by Leila Leonora Topp (née Sanders), illustrated by her niece Georgina ‘Ina’ Alice Gregory (1874 – 5 1964). Gregory studied at the National Gallery School for five years in the 1880s, and under E. Phillips Fox and Tudor St. George Tucker, painting a number of acclaimed works at the Charterisville estate of E. Phillips Fox. Ina and her sister Ada lived in relative seclusion at the back of Rosedale, their family’s home in St Kilda. This book has a printed dedication ‘To my niece, Ada Leonora Gregory’.