Mary Elizabeth Connell

Mary Elizabeth Connell (26 March 1917, York - July 1997) was an English-born South African botanical illustrator.

[1] Even at an early age Connell showed exceptional artistic talent and her first schooling was at the York College for Girls (closed down in 1997).

[2] She submitted her work to the Royal College of Art for their Masters examinations and was awarded honours in 1932 for Drawing from Nature Forms and 1933 for Pictorial Representation.

Her first project was to produce large plates illustrating poisonous and noxious plants for publication in the periodical 'Farming in South Africa', and later published as Henderson and Anderson's 'Common Weeds in South Africa' (Botanical Survey Memoir No.

[3][4] Their children were Jan Anton, Catherine Mary, Konrad, Adrian Henk, and Philip Oswald.