Horticultural Collections at the British Library & the National Trust: Project Report

Abstract

• The British Library (BL, or the Library) and the National Trust (NT, or the Trust) each have a rich relationship with the history of horticulture and botany. The aim of this June – September 2023 Doctoral Fellowship was to explore the relationship between gardens and books in the BL’s printed book collections and the NT’s libraries in its ‘garden properties’. The fellowship was divided into three parts. As a specialist in early modern print (1500-1700), I centred my research on annotation and reader interventions in early garden and plant books, and for the British Library I produced a searchable spreadsheet of 271 copies of which 55% contained interventions (Part One and Appendix A). On the basis of a similar survey of annotated material at NT properties using the Library Hub Discover and Trust catalogues and with additional support from NT colleagues, I selected six properties to research further, most of which have received little attention for their gardens & landscapes: Ormesby Hall (North Yorkshire), Treasurer’s House (North Yorkshire), Felbrigg Hall (Norfolk), Kingston Lacy (Dorset), Calke Abbey (Derbyshire) and Ham House (Richmond). At these properties I investigated annotation practice in garden books printed between 1500 and 1900, supplemented by manuscript material (Part Two). My research at both organisations fed into overall preparations for the BL’s ‘Gardening’ exhibition, supported by NT loans and possibly satellite exhibitions (Part Three). Additional project outputs include talks, conference papers & articles, as well as suggestions for further research.