Black Coal and Butterflies: The Double Life of William Henry Edwards

This presentation will discuss a forgotten voice, William Henry Edwards (1822 -1909), and his dual life as a West Virginia coal baron whose great passion was the study of butterflies. Although born in New York, Edwards spent his adult life in Coalburg, a small town outside Charleston, West Virginia. As a co-founder of the Kanawha and Ohio Coal Company, Edwards moved to Appalachia in order to be closer to his mining operations. However, his real love was butterflies. Edwards was so devoted to his study of butterflies that he determined to publish a book about them. Little did he know when he began that he would become obsessed with completing the work at great personal cost. Edwards dedicated over thirty years of his life to the pursuit of publishing his monumental masterwork, the three volume set known as The Butterflies of North America. Never equaled, before or since, the books are works of astounding beauty. Edwards’ books relied on the talents of three skilled women artists, Mary Peart, to draw the butterflies, and two sisters, Lavinia Bowen and Patience D. Leslie, to color the plates. This paper will focus on the dual nature of Edwards’ life in West Virginia, working in unity with women artists behind the scenes, and the beautiful butterflies of the Appalachian region. It adds another chapter to our understanding of Appalachia’s interaction with society beyond its borders, bringing to light the role of amateur naturalists of the 19th century and their intersection with science and commerce.