Cultivating curiosities : plants as collections in the eighteenth century
Gardens and plants were popular subjects for recreation and scholarship in eighteenth-century Britain. Wealth was invested into the creation of elaborate pleasure grounds, newly introduced exotic plants were purchased and cultivated with relish and extensive collections of dried plants were collated. Studies of eighteenth-century botany, horticulture and gardens have diverged in current research, creating a split in ideological interpretations of plants, their taxonomical systems and the gardens in which they were cultivated. The well-preserved archive at Burton Constable Hall in East Yorkshire provides a unique perspective on gardens, indoor and outdoor collections which can help to unite isolated historical disciplines into a cohesive narrative. Enlightenment ideals, the Baconian system of inductive reasoning and a new, empirical approach to natural philosophy had created a new, scientifically-based, eighteenth-century culture in which botany could flourish. Seventeenth-century scientists had proven that an empirical approach could transform a human understanding of the world, and publications, societies and coffee houses made their discoveries popular. The cabinets of curiosity held for wonder and exoticism
Moss, Suzanne
Cultivating curiosities : plants as collections in the eighteenth century. Gardens and plants were popular subjects for recreation and scholarship in eighteenth-century Britain. Wealth was invested into the creation of elaborate pleasure grounds, newly introduced exotic plants were purchased and cultivated with relish and extensive collections of dried plants were collated. Studies of eighteenth-century botany, horticulture and gardens have diverged in current research, creating a split in ideological interpretations of plants, their taxonomical systems and the gardens in which they were cultivated. The well-preserved archive at Burton Constable Hall in East Yorkshire provides a unique perspective on gardens, indoor and outdoor collections which can help to unite isolated historical disciplines into a cohesive narrative. Enlightenment ideals, the Baconian system of inductive reasoning and a new, empirical approach to natural philosophy had created a new, scientifically-based, eighteenth-century culture in which botany could flourish. Seventeenth-century scientists had proven that an empirical approach could transform a human understanding of the world, and publications, societies and coffee houses made their discoveries popular. The cabinets of curiosity held for wonder and exoticism
plant collection plant popular subject recreation scholarship eighteenth_century britain wealth invest creation elaborate pleasure ground newly introduce exotic plant purchase cultivated extensive collection dry plant collate studies eighteenth_century horticulture garden diverge current create split ideological interpretation plant system garden cultivate well_preserved archive constable hall east_yorkshire provide_unique perspective garden outdoor collection help unite isolated historical discipline cohesive narrative enlightenment ideal system inductive reason new empirical natural_philosophy create_new scientifically based eighteenth_century culture could flourish seventeenth_century scientist proven empirical could transform human world publication society coffee house make discovery popular cabinet hold wonder