History of the Herbarium, Library, Art and Archives

Hunter House - 1750 Queen Anne style house on Kew Green, occupied by the Duke of Cumberland (subsequently the King of Hanover) until his death in 1851. The adjacent Meyer’s House (currently Hanover House) formed the other part of the residence.

In 1851 the Royal Gardens at Kew were transferred from the Crown to the State. William Hooker had been appointed Director in 1841 at a time when there was no official herbarium. Before then, Sir Joseph Banks’ herbarium and library in Soho Square had been used for queries on plant names and classification. Hooker made his own collection, perhaps the largest in private hands, available to staff and visitors. The ground floor of Hunter House became available to the Director in 1852, initially on a temporary basis, and was used to house Hooker’s herbarium, and the herbarium and library of Dr William Arnold Bromfield. The first Curator, Allan Black, was appointed in 1853.

In 1876 the Drawing Room, South Room, kitchen and formal steps on the river frontage of Hunter House were demolished to make way for: First purpose-built wing of Herbarium (1877) – currently Wing C. It’s purpose-built storage for pressed, dried plant specimens over three floors, the upper two galleried on iron columns, with working bays maximising natural light as artificial (gas) light a serious fire hazard. Plant collections are mounted on paper and housed in wooden cabinets. Originally with elaborate ironwork and wooden panelling, in 1903 the wing was stripped, fire-proof concrete floors laid, and the galleries widened by 18 inches. The ironwork was probably simplified at this point.

Second wing of Herbarium (1902) – currently Wing B. Galleried wing similar to Wing C. Originally with two spiral staircases, the second removed on addition of 3rd wing. Electric light installed throughout in 1904.

Third wing of Herbarium (1932) – currently Wing A. Art Deco-style galleried wing over four floors designed by Ministry of Works architect, JH Markham.

Fourth wing of Herbarium with purpose-built Library (1969) – currently Wing D.

Quadrangle basement (1990) – compactorised storage for herbarium collections.

Fifth wing (2009) Extension to Herbarium and Library, with secure Art and Archive storage, and Reading Room. Edward Cullinan Architects Ltd

Currently the herbarium houses 6.4 million herbarium specimens, representing 95% of the world’s vascular plant genera. It is used by researchers across the world for plant identification, taxonomic and phylogenetic research and addressing the climate emergency issues.

Important early accessions

1854 – Herbarium and library of George Bentham given to Kew.
1858 – Indian collections of Griffith, Falconer and Helfer acquired from the East India Company together with Roxburgh drawings.
1862 – Borrer’s British plants; Cunningham’s collections from Australia.
1863 – Grant’s East African plants collected on Speke & Grant expedition to discover the source of the Nile.
1865 – Burchell’s collection from St Helena, South Africa and South America presented; Lindley’s orchid herbarium purchased.
1866 – WJ Hooker’s herbarium (£5000), library (£1000) and correspondence (£1000) purchased by the Government after his death and formally incorporated into the collections at Kew.
1877 – Schweinfurth’s tropical African plants; Indian herbarium of CB Clarke.
1878 – Dalzell’s Indian herbarium.
1880 – Herbaria of Schimper (N.E. Africa), Bishop Goodenough, and W Munro.
1881 – Watson’s British plants.
1882 – Baron’s herbarium (Madagascar); herbarium of Botanical Record Club; Leighton’s herbarium.
1913 – Herbarium of the Honourable East India Company (the “Wallich” herbarium) transferred from Linnean Society of London.