Did you know today is #EYAConservation day? We’re celebrating with this 1734 engraved map by John Rocque, showing the gardens, park and related buildings of the Royal Family at Kew. Our conservator has mounted it on a board for support and advises Melinex sleeves and flat storage. #KewLA

Kitty? Detail from John Rocque’s 1736 ‘Plan of the House Gardens Park and Hermitage of Their Majesty’s at Richmond and of the Prince of Wales’s at Kew’ - @rbgkew.bsky.social

For the less spooky side of Halloween @rbgkew.bsky.social, I stumbled across this fun costume idea @britishmuseum.bsky.social! It is a colored drawing by James Roberts II of a tightrope dancer, w/ the Kew pagoda in the background (1799).

Happy Halloween! Nothing says ‘haunted house’ like Merlin’s Cave that was once in @rbgkew.bsky.social. Built by William Kent for Queen Caroline, the Gothic structure featured 6 life-sized wax figures and spooky bookcases with vellum-bound books. (Image from Edmund Curll’s ‘Rarities of Richmond’.)

I’m just under 3 months into my placement with @rbgkew.bsky.social where I am putting together a finding aid for Kew’s pre-1840s archival history. Here’s a sneak peek at how the ‘images’ portion is progressing! (86 pages and counting)

Call for Papers! 📣 I have the full PDF if anyone is interested.

Fascinating talk held by Global Interchange today!