Constance Spry was the 20th century’s most influential floral decorator. From society weddings to the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, Spry’s revolutionary approach to floristry was greatly sought after and, as a 2021 Garden Museum exhibition argued, her influence can still be seen in floral design today.
In 1932 Spry began an affair with the artist Gluck–born Hannah Gluckstein in 1895–now celebrated (thanks to Diana Souhami’s groundbreaking 1988 biography and the enduring efforts of The Fine Art Society for radical depictions of same-sex partnership.
Gluck considered Spry’s work with flowers as an art form in itself and produced a number of now iconic paintings of Spry’s arrangements and works inspired by them, including Flora’s Cloak which for many years hung in Spry’s South Audley Street shop.
Summer and Autumn Flowers was accompanied by a companion volume Winter and Spring Flowers, both published in 1951.
Title: Summer & Autumn Flowers arranged by Constance Spry
Author: Constance Spry
Publisher: J.M. Dent & Sons Ltd, London
Publication date: 1951 (First Edition)
Format: Hardcover dust-jacket
Pages: 140pp.
Images: 24 hand-coloured photographs and 12 monochrome plates.
Book Condition: Clean and bright throughout and binding firm. Cream cloth covered boards with gilt titles to spine. Very faint spotting to prelims and penultimate pages. Dust jacket condition: Marks, losses and tears to front and rear panel, short tears to edges and loss to head of spine.
Stock Number: RB05717 254 RBS
Constance Spry was the 20th century’s most influential floral decorator. From society weddings to the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, Spry’s revolutionary approach to floristry was greatly sought after and, as a 2021 Garden Museum exhibition argued, her influence can still be seen in floral design today.
In 1932 Spry began an affair with the artist Gluck–born Hannah Gluckstein in 1895–now celebrated (thanks to Diana Souhami’s groundbreaking 1988 biography and the enduring efforts of The Fine Art Society for radical depictions of same-sex partnership.
Gluck considered Spry’s work with flowers as an art form in itself and produced a number of now iconic paintings of Spry’s arrangements and works inspired by them, including Flora’s Cloak which for many years hung in Spry’s South Audley Street shop.
Summer and Autumn Flowers was accompanied by a companion volume Winter and Spring Flowers, both published in 1951.
Title: Summer & Autumn Flowers arranged by Constance Spry
Author: Constance Spry
Publisher: J.M. Dent & Sons Ltd, London
Publication date: 1951 (First Edition)
Format: Hardcover dust-jacket
Pages: 140pp.
Images: 24 hand-coloured photographs and 12 monochrome plates.
Book Condition: Clean and bright throughout and binding firm. Cream cloth covered boards with gilt titles to spine. Very faint spotting to prelims and penultimate pages. Dust jacket condition: Marks, losses and tears to front and rear panel, short tears to edges and loss to head of spine.
Stock Number: RB05717 254 RBS
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