Showing 2498 results

12 black and white photographs that appear to have once been the property of Frederick Orpen Bower, four of them being used as figures in his 1925 publication 'Plants and Man'. The photographers appear to be mainly Skeen and Scowen of the Colombo Apothecaries Co. Ltd, Ceylon [Sri Lanka].
Descriptions of the photographs are as follows:

• Peradeniya Gardens; ‘No. 20’; marked ‘Frontispiece’ with annotated instructions for reproduction in ‘Plants and Man’ by Bower; photo credited in the publication as being ‘Bases of the stems of the Giant Bamboo (Dendrocalamus), in Peradeniya Gardens, Ceylon, with a garden-coolie standing at their foot. Photograph by Mr. Skene.’ [Skeen]. Photograph glued to contemporary stiff board.
• Corypha umbraculifera (Talipot); marked with C.A. Co. (?) Ceylon and stamped with [Apothe]caries Co. Photographers, [Colombo,] Ceylon; ‘218’ glued to reverse; annotated with printing instructions; edited version used as Fig.22A (p.48) in ‘Plants and Man’ as ‘A Talipot Palm (Corypha umbaculifera) in the flowering state’; photograph credited to Mr Skene [Skeen]. Photograph glued to contemporary stiff board.
• Corypha umbraculifera. The last stage of the Talipot; marked with ‘& Co. Ceylon’ - name obscured, and stamped with ‘Botanical Department, University Glasgow.’ and ‘Apothecaries Co. Photographers, Colombo, Ceylon’; edited version used as Fig.22B (p.49) in ‘Plants and man’ as ‘The same Palm after fruiting. The photographs were taken by Mr. Skene [Skeen], Ceylon.’ Photograph glued to herbarium sheet.
• Bamboo Stems; stamped with ‘Botanical Department, University Glasgow.’ and ‘Apothecaries Co. Photographers, Colombo, Ceylon’; ‘217’ glued to reverse, annotated with printing instructions; edited version used as Fig.86 (p.215) in ‘Plants and man’ as ‘Photograph showing the Bases of Bamboo Stems which may grow over 100 feet high. The stems are marked by rings, each of which is a leaf insertion, and the hollow stem is there supported by a hard transverse plate or septum. Note that at the base, where the leverage will be greatest, the septa are nearest together, so that the resistance will be greatest there. One of the young conical shoots has been cut so as to show the septa, crowded before the shoot has elongated.’ No photography credit given.
• ‘Nos 19 and 20, Giant Bamboos’; this photo marked ‘No.19’; ‘219’ glued to reverse; annotated with printing instructions, including ‘Schimper, make block from this, not from book’; used as Fig.87 (p.217) in ‘Plants and man’ as ‘Group of Giant Bamboos (Dendrocalamus giganteus) in the Royal Botanic Garden, Peradeniya, Ceylon. Note the man at the foot of the clump which gives the scale : also the successively shorter internodes at the base of the stems, and the curvatures above. (After Schimper.) Compare Frontispiece, and Fig. 86’. Photograph glued to contemporary stiff board.
• Corypha umbraculifera; young Talipot palms, No.519; marked with C.A. Co. Ltd, Ceylon, but other letters seem to have been scored out; stamped with ‘Botanical Department, University Glasgow.’ and ‘Apothecaries Co. Photographers, Colombo, Ceylon’; photograph glued to herbarium sheet.
• Caryota urens (Kitul) 144; marked with C.A. Co. Ltd, Ceylon; stamped with ‘Botanical Department, University Glasgow.’ and ‘Apothecaries Co. Photographers, Colombo, Ceylon’; photograph glued to herbarium sheet.
• Caryota urens. Branches of the Influorescense of the Kitul Palm shewing development of fruit. marked with Scowen & Co. Ltd (almost scored out), Ceylon; stamped with ‘Botanical Department, University Glasgow.’ and ‘Apothecaries Co. Photographers, Colombo, Ceylon’; photograph glued to herbarium sheet.
• Oreodoxa regia; Avenue of Cabbage Palms, Peradeniya Gardens; further annotated with ‘Cabbage Palms, Peradeniya Gardens (Scowen); marked with Scowen & Co. Ltd? (scored out), Ceylon; stamped with ‘Botanical Department, University Glasgow.’ and ‘Apothecaries Co. Photographers, Colombo, Ceylon’; photograph glued to herbarium sheet
• Cocos nucifera; Cocoa-nut Palm, 143; marked with C.A. Co. Ltd, Ceylon; stamped with ‘Botanical Department, University Glasgow.’ and ‘Apothecaries Co. Photographers, Colombo, Ceylon’; photograph glued to herbarium sheet.
• Lodoicea seychellarum – Double Cocoa-nut Palm, 125; marked with Scowen & Co. But scored out so it reads C.A. Co. Ltd; stamped with ‘Botanical Department, University Glasgow.’ and ‘Apothecaries Co. Photographers, Colombo, Ceylon’; photograph glued to herbarium sheet.
• Ravenala madagascariensis (Traveller’s Palm) 557?; marked with Scowen & Co. But scored out so it reads C.A. Co. Ltd, Ceylon; stamped with ‘Botanical Department, University Glasgow.’ and ‘Apothecaries Co. Photographers, Colombo, Ceylon’; photograph glued to herbarium sheet.

The Jimmy Ratter Archive represents a valuable collection that is of particular interest for the insight it offers into the entwined botanical and social histories of the Brazilian cerrado. The collection is diverse and idiosyncratic, and spans Jimmy’s professional and personal archives. The contents of the collection include correspondence, field diaries, funding proposals, financial records, drafts and edits of papers for publication, lecture notes, teaching materials, scientific data, photographic material, botanical and biological specimens, PhD manuscripts, and original illustrations.
The materials represented in the collection relate to Jimmy’s work in Brazil, including the various conservation projects he was involved in, and the many expeditions and collecting trips he participated in. Other items in the collection cover Jimmy’s early career, his various roles at the RBGE (including his teaching and supervisory roles), and the administration of the RBGE more generally.

Daily Diaries kept by the RBGE volunteer Garden Guides to record how their tours went, and to make observations regarding the type of visitor on the tour; their interests and where they were from; what was discussed; the weather; plants in flower/looking good in the Garden, etc.

List of contact details for Garden Guides that was pasted into the front cover of the Garden Guide Daily Diary volume 4, but removed so that it can be kept separately from the volume.

RBGE Garden Guide Daily Diary volume 4
Daily Diaries kept by the RBGE volunteer Garden Guides to record how their tours went, and to make observations regarding the type of visitor on the tour; their interests and where they were from; what was discussed; the weather; plants in flower/looking good in the Garden, etc.

RBGE Garden Guide Daily Diary volume 5
Daily Diaries kept by the RBGE volunteer Garden Guides to record how their tours went, and to make observations regarding the type of visitor on the tour; their interests and where they were from; what was discussed; the weather; plants in flower/looking good in the Garden, etc.

RBGE Garden Guide Daily Diary volume 3
Daily Diaries kept by the RBGE volunteer Garden Guides to record how their tours went, and to make observations regarding the type of visitor on the tour; their interests and where they were from; what was discussed; the weather; plants in flower/looking good in the Garden, etc.

RBGE Garden Guide Daily Diary volume 2
Daily Diaries kept by the RBGE volunteer Garden Guides to record how their tours went, and to make observations regarding the type of visitor on the tour; their interests and where they were from; what was discussed; the weather; plants in flower/looking good in the Garden, etc.

RBGE Garden Guide Daily Diary volume 1
Daily Diaries kept by the RBGE volunteer Garden Guides to record how their tours went, and to make observations regarding the type of visitor on the tour; their interests and where they were from; what was discussed; the weather; plants in flower/looking good in the Garden, etc.

At present this series comprises the Garden Guide Daily Diaries but it is envisaged that documentation relating to the establishment and management of the initiative could also be added here.