Mary Ellen Edwards (9 November 1838 – 22 December 1934),[1] also known as MEE, was a British artist and illustrator.

She spent her early years with her family in Surbiton, the Isle of Man, South Kensington, and Chelsea, London.

At this time and over the following decade Mary Ellen was submitting her work to the annual Royal Academy shows.

In 1872 she married the artist John Charles Staples (1844–1897), with whom she worked on many projects until his death at the end of the century.

Outside of watercolor and engraving, Edwards was a successful illustrator, drawing her works on a wooden medium.

She illustrated many children's books, including That Boy of Northcott's by Charles Lever, many of which were printed in Cornhill as well.

[5] Due to the prevailing social climate of the time, she was not very popular among a society that viewed her art through the traditional male lens.

These images are by courtesy of the Osborne Collection of Early Children's Books at the Toronto Public Library.