Do you remember the Kew Museums of Economic Botany?

Be part of a research project to reveal the history of Kew's museums

21 Mar 2011

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Economic Botany collections at Kew's Museum No.2

Opened to the public in 1847, Museum No.2 (now the School of Horticulture) was originally a fruit store that was converted into a museum by architect Decimus Burton. It was used to hold displays of plant specimens belonging to the Monocotledons and Cryptogams, including grasses and palms.

Did you know there were once four museums within the grounds of Kew Gardens? The Timber Museum in the Orangery closed in 1955, and Museum No.2 (now the School of Horticulture) was closed to the public in 1958. Museum No.1 and the Wood Museum (in Cambridge Cottage) carried on until 1987 when they too were closed and the collections were transferred to the Banks Building.

Caroline Cornish, PhD researcher at Royal Holloway, University of London, is researching the history of the Kew museums. She would love to hear from anyone who remembers visiting them and can relate their memories, or who has photographs or other memorabilia connected with the museums.

If you can help, please contact her at Caroline.Cornish.2009@live.rhul.ac.uk

Find out more about Caroline's research at www.gg.rhul.ac.uk/postgrads/Profiles/Cornish.html