History Gallery

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. Ridley is holding a machete for cutting his way through the undergrowth, while his assistant is carrying a vasculum for any interesting specimens they might come upon.Ridley on foot from the Henry Ridley Papers, RBG Kew Archives HNR/1/2/9/66

© The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

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

Cultivation of Cinchona succirubra trees on the Madulsima Cinchona Cos estate, Ceylon (Sri Lanka) 1882

Cultivation of Cinchona succirubra trees on the Madulsima Cinchona Cos estate, Ceylon (Sri Lanka) 1882. The plants pictured are 8 -10 years old. The outer bark has been shaved and the trunks covered with grass to encourage the regrowth of the bark, from which quinine alkaloids were extracted for use as a malaria medicine

© RBG KEW