Monthly Archives: February 2019

William Style and his garden…

I used to think early 17thc portraits were rather dull and dreary, and in galleries would  generally walk past them rather fast. They had neither the austere simplicity of many early Tudor portraits, nor the flamboyant excesses of Stuart ones. … Continue reading

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How Orchids became a Librarian’s Nightmare

It maybe a strange title but this is really the story of a rich young man and his passion for plants or rather one particular kind of plant.  James Bateman was the grandson and son of rich industrialists who had … Continue reading

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Visiting a Duke 18thc style…

At the end of last year I wrote  about the travel journals of John Byng, 5th Viscount Torrington. His diaries are, unlike most 18thc published writing, quite informal in style , probably because he  had no intention of putting his … Continue reading

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Arundel Castle and the Collector Earl’s Garden

I’ve been meaning to write about the gardens of Arundel Castle since I visited last summer with friends from  the Birkbeck Garden History Group and discovered the new[ish] Collector Earl’s Garden with [amongst other things]   Oberon’s Palace, a floating … Continue reading

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