Lost Gardens of London
Format:Hardback
Publisher:Modern Art Press
Published:8th Oct '24
Should be back in stock very soon
A celebration of London’s vast and varied garden legacy, but with an unexpected focus on those gardens that have either vanished or changed beyond recognition over the centuries
Lost Gardens of London pays tribute to the evanescence of London’s vast and varied garden legacy. Todd Longstaffe-Gowan explores gardens that range in date from the sixteenth to the twenty-first century, and from the capital’s humble allotments and gardens behind terraced houses to defunct squares, amateur botanical gardens and aviaries, princely pleasure grounds, royal-palace gardens, artists’ gardens and private menageries—gardens that either no longer exist or are unrecognisable today.
Our fascination with lost gardens is often fuelled by our interest in reconstructing worlds that supply us with a powerful means of making sense of the past, and a way of reading history. In this beautiful and evocative book, illustrated with a variety of images including watercolours, coloured engravings, and photographs, Longstaffe-Gowan reminds us of what a precious asset gardened green space is, and how it has contributed over the centuries to the quality of life and well-being of generations of inhabitants of the Metropolis.
Distributed for Modern Art Press
Exhibition Schedule:
Garden Museum, London
(23 October 2024–2 March 2025)
“This appreciation of gardens lost and the vital role they played is a rallying call to protect what might otherwise be lost in the future.”—Jodie Jones, House & Gardens
“This examination of London’s lost gardens is both fascinating and moving. Superb image research . . . supports this new work from gardening’s answer to Peter Ackroyd.”—English Garden
“In this exceptionally well-illustrated book . . . [Longstaffe-Gowan] reprises the role of connoisseur of garden curiosities.”—Tim Richardson, Literary Review
“Enjoy the beautiful illustrations, watercolours, engravings and photographs of gardens ranging from the grand to the humble, the literary to the aristocratic, those dedicated to parties and others to contemplation. Urban jewels each one.”—Phoebe Frangoul, Elle Decoration, “Best Books to Gift or Keep, Christmas 2024”
Selected by The Spectator as a Year’s Best Gardening Book
“It is the Longstaffe-Gowan’s skill at weaving in a multiplicity of contemporary references and the rich collection of rarely-seen images which make this book an essential addition to the shelf of anyone with an interest in the topography of London.”—London Topographical Society Newsletter
“A new pair of secateurs has been crossed off my Christmas present list for the first time in decades in favour of Todd Longstaffe-Gowan's book Lost Gardens of London.”—London Landscapes
Included in The Spectator "The Year's Best Gardening Books" 2024
ISBN: 9781738487806
Dimensions: unknown
Weight: unknown
272 pages