Considered the “plant clearinghouse” of the British Empire, the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew has accepted plants from all over the world since 1793 (Mills, 2016).
Forty intriguing plants from their collection are described in The Botanical Treasury: Celebrating 40 of the World’s Most Fascinating plants through Historical Art and Manuscripts, a new book edited by Christopher Mills, Head of Library Art & Archiving at Kew.
Botanists, scholars and curators contributed to this collection of very interesting stories about plants, people, art, science and Kew itself. Contributing authors are:
- Julia Buckley, Information Assistant, Kew Art & Illustrations Collection
- Lorna Cahill, Assistant Archivist, Kew
- Chris Clennent, Garden Manager at Wakehurst, Kew’s country estate in Sussex
- Aljos Farjon, Conifer Specialist and Honorary Research Specialist, Kew
- Gina Fullerlove, Head of Publishing, Kew
- Lauren Gardiner, Career Development Fellow, palm and orchid specialist at Kew
- David Goyder, Botanist, Kew Africa and Madagascar Team
- Tony Hall, Honorary Research Associate at Kew, formerly manager of the Alpine and Bulb Unit
- Christina Harrison, Editor, Kew Magazine
- Christopher Mills, Head of the Library, Art and Archives Collections, Kew
- Virginia Mills, Project Officer for Joseph Hooker Correspondence Project, Kew
- Mark Nesbitt, Curator, Economic Botany Collection, Kew
- Lynn Parker, Assistant Art and Artifacts Curator, Library of Art and Archives, Kew
- Tony Rebelo, South African National Biodiversity Institute, Kirstenbosch, Cape Town
- Martyn Rix, Horticulturalist, author and editor of Curtis’s Botanical Magazine
- Kiri Ross-Jones, Archivist and Records Manager, Kew
- Marcelo Sellaro, Collections Horticulturalist, Nurseries Department, Kew
- Anna Trias-Blasi, Research Fellow, Kew
- Maria Vorontsova, Research Leader of Integrated Monography, Department of Comparative Plant and Fungal Biology, Kew
- James Wearn, Science Education, Kew
- Richard Wilford, Head of Garden Design and Collection Support, Kew
- Joanne Yeomans, Gallery Assistant, Shirley Sherwood Gallery of Botanical Art and Marianne North Gallery, Kew
- Daniela Zappi, Cactus Expert, Kew
The historical accounts of each plant are accompanied by drawings, paintings and manuscripts. The manuscripts and the stories behind them provide insight into the relationship people had, and still have, with these plants.
Packaged in a beautiful clamshell box, this book comes with 40 collectible art prints. Botanical art enthusiasts are sure to enjoy this special collection of framable plant portraits that includes: Angelica, Banksia, Adansonia, Bromeliads, Ferocactus hamatacanthus, Camellia, Cinchona, Citrus, Datura and Brugmansia, Encephalartos, Fritillaria, Ginkgo biloba, Lagenaria siceraria, Grape Vine, Saccharin officinarum, Handkerchief Tree, Iris, Lilium mackliniae, Nelumbo, Magnolia, Zea mays, Nepenthes, Papaver, Vanda coerulea, Paphiopedilum fairrieanum, Coconut Palm, Pandanus, Paper Mulberry, Passiflora, Peony, Protea, Rhododendron, Damask Rose, Stapelia, Strelizia, Amorphophallus titanum, Tulipa, Victoria amazonica, Welwitschia, Wheat.
The Botanical Treasury is a beautifully packaged time capsule and is recommended for anyone with an interest in botany and botanical art history.
This book is now available in the US. Visit your local independent bookstore.
ArtPlantae Today 