Botanical gardens brought together in a single space the great diversity of the earth's flora. They displaced nature from forest and foothill and re-arranged it to reveal something of the scientific principles underpinning the apparent chaos of the wild. Nature Displaced, Nature Displayed shows how the design and display of such gardens was not determined by scientific principles alone.
Through a study of three botanical gardens - belonging to the University of Cambridge, the Royal Dublin Society, and the Belfast Natural History Society - the author shows how the final outcome involved a complex interplay of ideas about place, identity, empire, botanical science, and especially aesthetics, creating spaces that would educate the mind as well as please the senses. This highly engaging book offers a wealth of fresh insights into both the history and development of botanical gardens as well as connections between science and aesthetics.
By:
Nuala C. Johnson (Queen's University Belfast UK)
Imprint: Bloomsbury Academic
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions:
Height: 234mm,
Width: 153mm,
Weight: 404g
ISBN: 9781350165465
ISBN 10: 1350165468
Series: Tauris Historical Geographical Series
Pages: 288
Publication Date: 28 May 2020
Audience:
General/trade
,
College/higher education
,
ELT Advanced
,
Primary
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active
List of Figures Acknowledgements 1: Nature, Botanical Gardens and Science 2: Foundations 3: Displaying and Displacing Nature: Order, Classification and Pleasure 4: Glass, Iron and Steam: Botanical Buildings and the Cultivation of the Exotic 5: Networks and Exchanges: Knowledge Transfer and Peopling Botanical Institutions 6: Popular Science, Public Pleasure and the Botanical Garden as a Site of Education and Entertainment 7: Conclusion Notes Bibliography Index
Nuala C. Johnson is Reader in Human Geography at the School of Geography, Archaeology and Palaeoecology, Queen's University Belfast. Her previous books include 'Ireland, the Great War and the Geography of Remembrance' (2003) and, as co-editor, 'Companion to Cultural Geography' (2004) and 'Culture and Society' (2008).
