- Title: Little Nature Library: Birds Worth Knowing, Little Nature Library: Wild Flowers Worth Knowing
- Author: Neltje Blanchan
- Publisher: Doubleday, Doran & Company for Nelson Doubleday
- Estimated year of printing: 1932
Notes:
Copyright 1917
Year of publication on title page: 1932
24 illustrations in color in both
Note on back of bird picture: “Christmas 1951. So glad to get your letter. Will answer next year.”
Partial note: “… was 47 the record cold for this area, this time of the year. Rodney is going for a sandwich at the snack shop. Will close now as the music is starting. Just lovely. Love Rodney + Sylvia”
There are popular books describing the many types of birds and wild flowers in great detail. They were first published in 1917, and continued to be published in many editions over the years. This edition is from 1932. They’re part of a larger series called the Little Nature Library, which includes books on other nature-related topics. One of the more interesting aspects of these books is that they include 24 color illustrations, which is not terribly common in books from this era.
The books are authored by Neltje Blanchan, which is a pen name for Neltje Blanchan de Graff Doubleday (1865 – 1918). She was a scientific historian and nature writer who published many works on wildflowers and birds, known for her blend of scientific interests and poetic phrasing.
Notably, she was married to Frank Nelson Doubleday (1862 – 1934), who founded the Doubleday publishing company in 1897. Doubleday purchased the publishing house of George Doran in 1927, resulting in the Doubleday, Doran, and Company publishing house referenced in this book. Njelte and Frank’s son, Nelson Doubleday, became president of the company around this same time.
Neltje Doubleday died in 1918, in China, while working as the Commissioner for the Red Cross.
Birds Worth Knowing included several pieces of ephemera tucked between the pages. The most interesting is a picture of a bird with a handwritten Christmas note on the back, dated 1951. The writer says “So glad to get your letter. Will answer you next year.” Apparently, friendly letter writing in the 1950’s could include quite the long turnaround time.
Historical context:
When these books were published in 1932, Herbert Hoover was President. One year earlier in 1931, the Empire State Building opened in New York and the Star Spangled Banner became the official national anthem of the United States.