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History Collection (page 3)

Choose from 250 items in our History Collection

Background imageHistory Collection: Portrait of Sir William Turner Thiselton-Dyer (1843-1928)

Portrait of Sir William Turner Thiselton-Dyer (1843-1928)
Director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, 1885-1905. Photographic print on paper

Background imageHistory Collection: Plan of the Palm House

Plan of the Palm House, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Background imageHistory Collection: Plan of the Palm House

Plan of the Palm House, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Background imageHistory Collection: William Aiton (1731-1793)

William Aiton (1731-1793)

Background imageHistory Collection: Photograph of a Wardian Case, 19th century

Photograph of a Wardian Case, 19th century
Wardian Case en-route to Sri Lanka in the late 19th century

Background imageHistory Collection: The Orangery, RBG Kew

The Orangery, RBG Kew. Lithograph after a drawing by G.E. Papendick, printed by C. Hallmandel, c. 1840

Background imageHistory Collection: Women gardeners put on their clogs ready for work, World War II

Women gardeners put on their clogs ready for work, World War II
Women gardeners were employed at Kew during World War II, after an interval of nearly a quarter of a century. Fourteen women were enrolled onto the staff in 1940

Background imageHistory Collection: Women gardeners, The Rock Garden, RBG Kew, World War II

Women gardeners, The Rock Garden, RBG Kew, World War II
Women gardeners were again employed at Kew during World War II, after an interval of nearly a quarter of a century. Fourteen women were enrolled onto the staff in 1940

Background imageHistory Collection: Vegetables cultivated on Kew Green, 1917

Vegetables cultivated on Kew Green, 1917
Vegetables cultivated in allotments on Kew Green to combat food shortages, 1917, during World War I

Background imageHistory Collection: Joseph Reardon pictured during service in WWI

Joseph Reardon pictured during service in WWI
Joseph Reardon joined the staff as a gardener in July 1914, having trained at Tully Nurseries, Kildare. He attended Kews " Mutual improvement Society" scoring the highest numbers in

Background imageHistory Collection: Frank Norman Howes, RBG Kew

Frank Norman Howes, RBG Kew
Frank Norman Howes inspecting samples of wood in the Museum store. Born in South Africa, he was Economic Botanist in the Gold Coast Department of Agriculture before becoming an Assistant in Kew

Background imageHistory Collection: Ann Webster, botanical artist, RBG Kew, 1951

Ann Webster, botanical artist, RBG Kew, 1951
Ann Webster studied at Guildford School of Art before becoming a freelance botanical artist, contributing to Curtiss Botanical magazine, Flora of Tropical East Africa and other Kew publications

Background imageHistory Collection: Matilda Smith, botanical artist

Matilda Smith, botanical artist
Matilda Smith, Joseph Hookers second cousin, began training as a botanical artist in 1877, at the age of 23, and remained in Kews employ for 45 years

Background imageHistory Collection: Annie M Gulvin

Annie M Gulvin
Annie Gulvin and Alice Hutchings were the first female gardeners at Kew in 1896. Annie Gulvin (pictured here) left in 1897 to take up the post of head gardener on an estate in South Wales

Background imageHistory Collection: William Dallimore

William Dallimore (1871-1959), known to his colleagues as " good old Dallimore" was a well-liked and long serving member of staff at RBG Kew for more than 45 years

Background imageHistory Collection: William Barrons Tree Transplanter

William Barrons Tree Transplanter
William Barron (1805-91)s Tree transplantor at Kew. Barron devised a horse-drawn machine that would allow trees to be uprooted and carried distances of up to 32km without damage

Background imageHistory Collection: Henry Ridley

Henry Ridley
When Henry Ridley took over directorship of the Singapore Botanic Gardens, (1888-1911)there were many overgrown jungle areas and he was tasked with making a preliminary forest survey

Background imageHistory Collection: Henry Ridley and rubber tree, Singapore

Henry Ridley and rubber tree, Singapore
Extension of original cutting on an old Para rubber tree, Hevea brasiliensis - Henry Ridley ( Rubber Ridley ) and rubber tree, tapped for latex

Background imageHistory Collection: Portrait of E H Wilson

Portrait of E H Wilson
Ernest Henry " Chinese" Wilson, better known as E. H. Wilson, was a notable English plant collector who introduced a large range of about 2000 of Asian plant species to the West; some sixty

Background imageHistory Collection: The Palm House, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

The Palm House, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
Archival photograph of The Palm House, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Background imageHistory Collection: Palm House and Parterre

Palm House and Parterre

Background imageHistory Collection: Dukes Garden

Dukes Garden

Background imageHistory Collection: The broadwalk

The broadwalk

Background imageHistory Collection: Barrons Tree Transplanter

Barrons Tree Transplanter
A 19th century horse drawn machine used to move trees up to 20m

Background imageHistory Collection: Grade II listed Victoria Gate

Grade II listed Victoria Gate

Background imageHistory Collection: Palm House - final stages of construction

Palm House - final stages of construction

Background imageHistory Collection: The Palm House under construction

The Palm House under construction

Background imageHistory Collection: A View of the Palace from the North Side of the Lake

A View of the Palace from the North Side of the Lake
Engraving on paper, A View of the Palace from the North Side of the Lake, the Green House & the Temple of Arethusa, in the Royal Gardens at Kew

Background imageHistory Collection: Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker

Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker

Background imageHistory Collection: Sir William Jackson Hooker

Sir William Jackson Hooker
Photograph of Sir William Jackson Hooker (1785-1865), Director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, (1841-1865). No date

Background imageHistory Collection: John Haverfield (c. 1694-1784)

John Haverfield (c. 1694-1784)
Portrait of John Haverfield Senior, process unidentified (photographic copy by Webster Brothers, London, of painting in oils ), no date

Background imageHistory Collection: John Haverfield (c. 1741-1820)

John Haverfield (c. 1741-1820)
Portrait of John Haverfield Junior. Unidentified process (hand doctored photographic copy by Webster Brothers of London, from an original painting ), no date

Background imageHistory Collection: Portrait of Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker (1817-1911)

Portrait of Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker (1817-1911)
Director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, 1865-1885. Photographic print on paper

Background imageHistory Collection: Pierre Joseph Redout├®

Pierre Joseph Redout├®
Portrait of the Botanical artist, P.J.Redoute

Background imageHistory Collection: Joseph Hooker

Joseph Hooker

Background imageHistory Collection: Sir Joseph Hooker at his writing desk

Sir Joseph Hooker at his writing desk
Photograph of Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker (1817-1911), Director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (1865-1885). Dated 30 June 1906

Background imageHistory Collection: Portrait of Sir William Jackson Hooker

Portrait of Sir William Jackson Hooker (1785-1865) by Spiridione Gambardella.Painted circa November 1842. Classmark:BO 001.RBG Kew Art and Artefacts Collection. Oil painting: 275mm x 327mm

Background imageHistory Collection: Portrait of David Douglas, F. L. S. (1799-1834) by Daniel Macnee

Portrait of David Douglas, F. L. S. (1799-1834) by Daniel Macnee
Portrait of David Douglas, F.L.S. (1799-1834) by Daniel Macnee. Classmark: MO 017. Personal Author:Macnee, Daniel. Dated 1828. Physical Description:1 drawing, 318mm x 368mm

Background imageHistory Collection: Carl von Linnaeus, Swedish botanist and taxonomist

Carl von Linnaeus, Swedish botanist and taxonomist
Engraving of Carolus Linnaeus M.D. taken from the frontispiece of Systema Naturae, 1748. Artists name: Bernigeroth, Johann Martin (1713-1767)

Background imageHistory Collection: St Helena, Archway, 1805, William J Burchell

St Helena, Archway, 1805, William J Burchell
Archway - 01/10/1805 Watercolour St.Helena [drawings] Taken from an album of drawings made between 1805-1820 Burchell, William J. (William John) (1781-1863)

Background imageHistory Collection: The Square, with the Market and Church, Jamestown, 1810

The Square, with the Market and Church, Jamestown, 1810
The Square, with the Market and Church, Jamestown. 14.04.1810 (1810/1819) Pencil on paper St.Helena [drawings] Taken from an album of drawings made between 1805-1820 Burchell, William J

Background imageHistory Collection: Richard Spruce

Richard Spruce (1817-1893) botanist and plant collector who was commissioned by William Hooker to transfer the cinchona (quinine) industry from South America to India

Background imageHistory Collection: John Wilfred Sutch

John Wilfred Sutch, born 8 November 1923, worked as a gardener in the T-Range, Palm House and Arboretum. At the age of 18 he left Kew to join the army

Background imageHistory Collection: Female gardener working in the orchid house, during World War II

Female gardener working in the orchid house, during World War II
Female gardener working in the orchid house, RBG Kew, during World War II

Background imageHistory Collection: World War II, Kew Gardens: Talk at the Demonstration plot about growing your own food

World War II, Kew Gardens: Talk at the Demonstration plot about growing your own food
Sydney Albert Pearce, Assistant Curator of the Decorative Department, gives a talk at the Demonstration Plot in front of Kew Palace, 1940

Background imageHistory Collection: Botanist Mary Ruth Fussel Jackson Taylor, RBG Kew, 1939

Botanist Mary Ruth Fussel Jackson Taylor, RBG Kew, 1939
Botanist Mary Ruth Fussel Jackson Taylor, working in the Herbarium, RBG Kew, 1939

Background imageHistory Collection: Women gardeners, RBG Kew, World War II

Women gardeners, RBG Kew, World War II
Women gardeners were again employed at Kew during World War II, after an interval of nearly a quarter of a century. Fourteen women were enrolled onto the staff in 1940

Background imageHistory Collection: Potato tuber slices being dried in trays of peat, WWII

Potato tuber slices being dried in trays of peat, WWII
Supplies of seed potatoes were insufficient to demand during WWII, so Wiliam Campbell, Curator of Kew Gardens devised a method of growing potatoes using slices from the tuber instead




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