Kate Teltscher - Palace of Palms: Tropical Dreams and the Making of Kew

Tropical Dreams and the Making of Kew

The research for this book has led me down many unexpected paths, and I am deeply grateful to everyone who has pointed me in the right direction. As a visiting researcher at Kew, I have been made to feel extremely welcome. I am particularly indebted to Mark Nesbitt for his enthusiastic backing, to Bill Baker and John Dransfield for opening up the world of palms, and to Kiri Ross-Jones for her helpful guidance. Through my association with Kew, I have been lucky enough to make contact with a number of other academics: Felix Driver, who encouraged me in many ways; Luciana Martins, who invited me to talk at Birkbecks Arts Week; and Caroline Cornish, who shared her knowledge of Kews Museum of Economic Botany. The reading room at Kew has been a delightful place to work, and the library and archives staff particularly Fiona Ainsworth, Craig Brough, Julia Buckley, Rosie Eddisford, Kat Harrington, Anne Marshall and Lynn Parker have all gone out of their way to help with my queries.

I could not have written this book without Edward Diestelkamps pioneering work on Richard Turner. I owe thanks to Ed for his advice on the architectural and engineering aspects of the Palm House. I am very grateful to Robert Turner and his son Christopher for allowing me to look through their family collection, and for their warm hospitality. The spirit of Turner enterprise has clearly descended to Christopher, whose company, the London Window Cleaner, undertook the complex operation of cleaning the glass of the Palm House, designed and constructed by his great-great-great grandfather.

Through the wise guidance of Clare Alexander, this book has found a wonderful home at Picador. The manuscript benefited from expert editing by Georgina Morley and Marissa Constantinou. Philippa McEwan happily climbed the spiral stairs to gain the full Palm House experience. Laura Carr has skilfully overseen every stage of the production. The design team at Picador has made this a truly beautiful book. It has been a pleasure to work with Gina Fullerlove, Pei Chu and Lydia White at Kew Publishing.

I am very grateful to the University of Roehampton for study leave to undertake the research for this book. I have received great support from colleagues, past and present in particular, Simon Edwards, Jenny Hartley, Ian Haywood, Nicki Humble, Jane Kingsley-Smith, Zach Leader, Louise Lee, Susan Matthews, Clare McManus, Laura Peters, Martin Priestman, Lisa Sainsbury, Mary Shannon, Shelley Trower, Bea Turner, Sarah Turvey, Amy Waite, Alison Waller and Cathy Wells-Cole. Colleagues at other universities and institutions have encouraged me with their comments and invitations to speak: David Arnold, Rita Banerjee, Rosinka Chaudhuri, Mary Ellis Gibson, Uday Kumar, Nigel Leask, Pramod Nayar and Dan White. I have been sustained by the friendship of Tanvir Hasan, Philippa Park, Srilata Raman, Jonah Siegel, Francis Spufford, Jenny Uglow and Nancy Yousef. I am deeply indebted to Laverne Morey, Alison McIntosh and the staff of Lynde House Care Home.

It is to my family that I owe the greatest thanks: to my kind sister, Helen Rigby; to my two fine children, Jacob and Isaac Loose; and to my loving husband, Julian Loose, who has been with me every chapter of the way.

A LSO BY K ATE T ELTSCHER

India Inscribed: European and British Writing on India, 16001800

The High Road to China: George Bogle, the Panchen Lama and the First British Expedition to Tibet

The ornament used throughout as a chapter opener is based on the palmette design on the interior ironwork of the Palm House.

Kate Teltscher is a Reader in English Literature at the University of Roehampton and Visiting Researcher at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. As a cultural historian, her research has focused on colonial contact between Britain and Asia and she is the author of two acclaimed books, India Inscribed: European and British Writing on India, 16001800 and The High Road to China: George Bogle, the Panchen Lama and the First British Expedition to Tibet, which was shortlisted for the James Tait Black Memorial Prize for Biography. She lives in south-west London with her family.

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