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KEW GARDENS: LIMITED EDITION PRINTS

This is a selection of photos from my first book, ‘The Magic of Kew’ (Herbert Press / New Amsterdam Press 1988).

I bought an ancient Linhof ‘quarter plate’ metal field camera (9x12cm) with 5 single dark slides and a Rollei 6×9 roll film back with holes in it. I went to Kew Gardens for the first time in 1985 and simply fell in love with it. I consider it to be my spiritual home, and this was the beginning of my professional career.

During 6 months in 1986 I photographed the gardens every weekend, on black and white fim, moving up to an MPP 4×5 techincal camera.The prints I made at home were exhibited in various venues around London. Several Directors of the Gardens were impressed, and Brinsley Burbidge asked me if I’d like to make some postcards for them. My standard response to this request is, “sure, but how about a book?” “The Magic of Kew” bacame the first photographic monograph book of Kew Gardens (and my first of three books so far).

The best thing about being left alone to do your own photography book is that nobody sees your mistakes! This is the result of being dedicated enough to go back to the same place again and again, until you get it right. The Danish magazine, ‘Landskapp’ gave me the best review when they called them “Tender Pictures” and said. “Imagine that someone can go to a place and really love it. James has done this.” I think they understood my motives.

The series of prints was bought by Kew Gardens, continues to be sold to private collections, and is available in a limited edition.

I also go to Kew Gardens every month with students as decicated to the Gardens as I am, and do workshops there. It’s a great day in a beautiful place, but there are too many things to see and photograph, so we need to be selective in our choices.

Treefern North-west Staircase, Temperate House ©James Bartholomew