Garden History Volunteers needed and the City of London's Images at Collage

For my London friends, from ParkBench London

"The London Parks & Gardens Trust is looking for volunteers to expand the information in its Inventory of Historic Green Spaces.The Trust needs more volunteers to help with research on the sites included on its Inventory of Historic Green Spaces, which covers the whole Greater London area. Volunteers undertake historic research using various sources, and make site visits to record what can be seen on the ground. No previous experience of research is required, although some knowledge of garden history is useful. Training is offered in all aspects of the work: the use of libraries, the most appropriate books, maps and archives to consult, and how to record what is on the ground. There are visits to local history libraries, national libraries and record offices, talks from experienced historians and discussions of research in progress. Assistance and advice is available from the co-ordinator." Find out more.

Images above are from Collage, where The City of London Libraries and Guildhall Art Gallery now have 20,000 images online. Watermarks, as you can see, but high-res images can be purchased and it is an excellent resource for the many historic landscapes of the London area including Kew, Kensington, and the Vauxhall and Ranelagh pleasure gardens.

One of my favorites from the collection is this 1829 aquatint of the river Thames, its rightsideup upsidedown format showing the landscape on both sides of the river from London to Richmond, including Kew Gardens.