Tag Archives: Mrs Delany

East comes West

Posted on 08/09/2018 by The Gardens Trust

Dr Johnson wrote in 1738 : “There are few nations in the world more talked of, or less known than the Chinese.”  He was reflecting on the latest book about China to be published, one which Patrick Conner in Oriental Architecture in the … Continue reading →

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Mrs Delany’s Petticoat

Posted on 07/07/2018 by The Gardens Trust

I write about all sorts of strange things on this blog but can’t think of much more obscure than this week’s starting point which is a Georgian firescreen which turns out not to be just a firescreen but part of … Continue reading →

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Mary’s Mosaiks

Posted on 09/06/2018 by The Gardens Trust

Mary Granville could easily have been the protagonist of one of those boringly wordy Georgian 3 volume novels, now long unread and forgotten.    The first tome would have covered her early life: from the minor aristocracy, well-educated and talented but … Continue reading →

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The further adventures of Francis Masson – the man with itchy feet

Posted on 02/07/2016 by The Gardens Trust

Last week’s post finished with Francis Masson returning to Kew in 1775 after a  successful plant collecting expedition to the Cape of Good Hope.  But he was clearly a man with itchy feet so the following year he was off again … Continue reading →

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