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Alyssa Myers

@alyssamyers.bsky.social

3rd year PhD student - CDA with MMU & English Heritage - 18th c. Suburban London Villa - #social history, #material culture, #ceramics

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Reposted by Alyssa Myers

Kew Gardens

@rbgkew.bsky.social

Did you know today is #EYAConservation day? We’re celebrating with this 1734 engraved map by John Rocque, showing the gardens, park and related buildings of the Royal Family at Kew. Our conservator has mounted it on a board for support and advises Melinex sleeves and flat storage. #KewLA

A plan of the House, Gardens, Park and Hermitage of their Majesties at Richmond by John Rocque. Shows Oven House, the Summer House, Merlin's Cave, the Hermitage, the Dairy House, the Green House and the Orangery, 'His Majesties House in Richmond' North and South prospects. Includes numbered references showed on the plan referring to other features in the Gardens; this is also written in French. Printed for John Bowles at the Black Horse, Cornhill. Unmounted engraving in blue card folder. The main Gardens are depicted across three quarters of the spread with individual illustrations of buildings filling the top right-hand corner.

November 29, 2025 at 10:00 AM

Alyssa Myers

@alyssamyers.bsky.social

Kitty? Detail from John Rocque’s 1736 ‘Plan of the House Gardens Park and Hermitage of Their Majesty’s at Richmond and of the Prince of Wales’s at Kew’ - @rbgkew.bsky.social

November 5, 2025 at 11:33 AM

Alyssa Myers

@alyssamyers.bsky.social

For the less spooky side of Halloween @rbgkew.bsky.social, I stumbled across this fun costume idea @britishmuseum.bsky.social! It is a colored drawing by James Roberts II of a tightrope dancer, w/ the Kew pagoda in the background (1799).

October 31, 2025 at 10:30 AM

Alyssa Myers

@alyssamyers.bsky.social

Happy Halloween! Nothing says ‘haunted house’ like Merlin’s Cave that was once in @rbgkew.bsky.social. Built by William Kent for Queen Caroline, the Gothic structure featured 6 life-sized wax figures and spooky bookcases with vellum-bound books. (Image from Edmund Curll’s ‘Rarities of Richmond’.)

October 31, 2025 at 10:23 AM

Alyssa Myers

@alyssamyers.bsky.social

I’m just under 3 months into my placement with @rbgkew.bsky.social where I am putting together a finding aid for Kew’s pre-1840s archival history. Here’s a sneak peek at how the ‘images’ portion is progressing! (86 pages and counting)