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Images of Africa at Kew Gardens

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 April 2022

Syvia Fitzgerald
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Extract

Africa had long been of interest in Europe - as we see in the herbals of Charles de l'Escluse (1601), & Mathias de l'Obel (1650). Kew's interest in Africa stems from the earliest days of the Gardens, which were set up in 1759 for Princess Augusta under the supervision of William Aiton, advised by Lord Bute & Sir John Hill. Hill's Hortus Kewensis, published in 1768 lists many trees, shrubs and herbaceous plants from Africa, describes Fritillaria longifolia as new from the Cape of Good Hope and gives a coloured plate of it.

Princess Augusta died in 1772, and her Gardens passed to King George III (Farmer George), who appointed Sir Joseph Banks as botanical director. Banks was sharply aware of the worth of field exploration - he had himself just returned from 3 years with Captain Cook on ‘The Endeavour’ during which they explored the South Pacific and coastal Australia.

Type
Research Article
Information
African Research and Documentation , Volume 68: Images of Africa , 1995 , pp. 61 - 64
Copyright
Copyright © International African Institute 1995

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References

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