History Gallery

Kewites and wives Kampala, Uganda, 1923

This group photograph of "Kewites and wives" was taken in Kampala, Uganda, in 1923. Second from the right: John Davenport Snowden, with his wife, centre. Arthur Marshall (back row far right) was the pony boy in Kew Gardens but after attending lectures he obtained the Kew certificate and was elected honorary member of the Ugandan Branch; his wife is seated in front of him. The third woman, Dorothy Halkerston, sits in front of her husband Donald Halkerston, chair of the Ugandan Branch of the Kew Guild

© RBG KEW

Men laden with Brick tea for Tibet

Tachienlu (now Kanding), West Sichuan, China : Men laden with Brick tea for Tibet. One man's load weighs 317 lbs, the other's 298 lbs. Men carry this tea as far as Tachien-lu, accomplishing 6 miles per day over difficult roads. Photograph taken by the plant-hunter Ernest Wilson, July 30, 1908

© RBG KEW

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The Rhododendron Dell, Kew Gardens

19th century photograph of The Rhododendron Dell, Kew Gardens. Originally Capability Brown's "Hollow Walk" it was created in 1773 and planted with rhododendrons in 1850. In 1911 Ernest Wilson's rhododendrons were also added. Today, the dell is the only surviving piece of Capability Brown's landscaping of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

© RBG KEW