Past News Items

Kew is hosting a festival of ethnobotany, Saturday 7 March 2009 from 11.00 - 16.00, highlighting research into plant-people relationships. Featured topics will likely include medicinal plants in Britain, Spain, China and southern Africa; wild foods in Britain and Africa; natural fibres and basketmaking, home gardens in Britain, spice plants in India, and many more. The emphasis is on hands-on, table-top displays with plenty of opportunity to talk to the exhibitors. Throughout the day we will also be showing ethnobotanical films.

Ticketholders for Kew Gardens (Season/Friends/bought on the day) can simply turn up & enjoy the event on the day. There will also be free admission direct to the festival by pre-booked e-ticket; details (and a full programme) will be posted here in mid February.

New reading list added to Bibliography page Kew, economic botany and empire (PDF).

Mahogany, an extensively illustrated guide by Pete Gasson and Lydia White.

The EBC is delighted to join this very active member-led organisation. For more information on member museums visit the London’s Museums of Health and Medicine’s website.

Survey of Economic Botany/Ethnobotany Collections Letter (Word file) and Excel files one and two from Missouri Botanical Garden.

After 30 years in storage, the Economic Botany Collection’s remarkable 1886 model of an Indian Indigo factory is on display in the Plants+People exhibition, open every day in Museum No. 1.

We are keen to know the location of any similar models.

Update: 09.08.08 - Article appears in Calcutta Telegraph