The Saturday Book - Edwin Smith & Olive Cook

shell picture, sailor's woolwork ship; tapestry work

Hankies worked by Lady Nelson     orange wrappers

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This book is a compilation of photos (Edwin's) and comments (Olive) and shows a curious hotchpotch of favourite objects, but all have been chosen in a certain style which will appeal to many collectors of the bizarre, unusual and rare. They were particularly fond of the sea side and shells, ships and nautical items feature a lot. The hankies embroidered by Lady Nelson are so personal and touching, and the orange papers from Italy and Spain are so bizarre! I have this book by my spare room bed and hope visitors dip into it. I went to see Olive Cook when she was a widow living in a small studio flat near Dunmow and told her how much I loved her book and went away with another large tome, written by her and Edwin, a beautiful book about five centuries of fine English houses. She was a most interesting person, but rather lost without her partner, Edwin.