Kew: A History [Import] [Paperback]

Ray Desmond (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 2, 1998

This informative volume traces the extraordinary evolution over more than two centuries of Kew's historic landscape, which began with two private royal gardens and expanded through the work of some of our most distinguished garden designers and architects, resulting in an important range of listed buildings of which thirty-nine have survived. These, together with the latest additions to Kew's architectural heritage, are extensively illustrated and described. As much part of this fascinating landscape are the principal figures in Kew's history - among them Queen Caroline, her son Frederick Prince of Wales, his wife Princess Augusta, and George III; Sir Joseph Banks, who organized the first worldwide plant-collecting expeditions; Sir William Hooker and his son, Sir Joseph, who laid the foundations of the present Botanic Gardens; and successive directors who formulated policy and enabled improvements. Kew also played a pivotal role in the development of the British Empire's natural resources, the introduction of commercial crops to the colonies and the compilation of colonial floras. Its collaboration with overseas botanical gardens, alongside its establishment as an international scientific institution are equally crucial and examined in detail. Whilst previous accounts of Kew have relied almost entirely on printed sources, the present volume makes extensive use of archives which support modern Kew's primary objective: "the better management of the Earth's environment by increasing knowledge and understanding of the plant kingdom".

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Ghillean T. Prance, the director of the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, states in his foreword, "Nobody learns more about the institution where they work than the librarian." Desmond, formerly chief librarian and archivist at Kew, proves this point with his definitive history of Britain's most famous gardens. The early chapters offer a history of the buildings in the garden and of the royal involvement in the architecture and landscaping of their properties at Kew. Every fact about the early years seems to have been ferreted out, and extensive quotations are taken from archival material. The years when the gardens were the repository of Britain's plant-collecting expeditions take the story around the world, and Desmond explains in detail how those breadfruit trees on the Bounty were tended before the mutiny. We are brought to the present with information about the research activities supporting contemporary Kew's primary objective of increasing knowledge and understanding of the plant kingdom. Fifteen appendixes cover topics ranging from boundary walls, trees, and the water supply to a detailed chronology and brief biographies of persons related to Kew's history. This detailed and engrossing history is recommended for research collections.
Daniel Starr, Museum of Modern Art Lib., New York
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

It is impossible to do justice to the comprehensiveness of both the text and copious illustrations of this superbly researched and beautifully produced book. -- Ann Geneva, Financial Times

This is an important book, impeccably researched, superbly written, illustrated and produced. -- Allen Paterson, Country Life

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 468 pages
• Publisher: Harvill Press (July 2, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1860465293
• ISBN-13: 978-1860465291
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 7.1 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.6 pounds
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,335,080 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.