ISBN: 978-0-9556659-3-6 £14.99
128 pp
200 images
ISBN: 978-0-9556659-3-6
£14.99
Publication: 1 May 2023
See Kensington Gardens in beautiful images from stylish Edwardian postcards, sent and collected by visitors a hundred years ago. This was a golden age when each postcard was a little work of art and the quickest way to send a photograph with a message to loved ones.
Follow the elegant Broad Walk between Palace Gate and Queensway, to see the statue of Queen Victoria and famous views of Kensington Palace. An original engraving shows Kensington Palace three hundred years ago when it was newly built. See the State Apartments when they opened to the public in 1899 for Queen Victoria’s 80th birthday and discover who was living at the palace a hundred years ago. Find the Elfin Oak near the Children’s Playground where ‘Time Flies’ and hear how J. M. Barrie the author of Peter Pan joined in the fun, racing balloons across the Round Pond. Near Lancaster Gate, find the statue of the twin teddy bears, and enjoy the calm beauty of the Italian Fountains, a romantic gift from Prince Albert to Queen Victoria.
Visit Queen Caroline’s Temple, a Georgian folly, from which to see the Long Water and Hyde Park. See the Tea Gardens which became the Serpentine Gallery and look for the ‘Big Horse Statue’ of Physical Energy, sent by Bert to Auntie as a ‘get well soon’ card. See the magnificent Albert Memorial, opposite the Royal Albert Hall. And as we take the Flower Walk in summertime back to Kensington Palace, remember a Princess who lived here, who will never be forgotten.
Hermione Cameron has been collecting these postcards and photographs for over a decade, in order to take the reader on a visual tour of this much-loved royal park, as it was in the early years of the 20th century. Deciphering handwritten messages, and researching family histories in the census returns, local archives, directories and newspapers, she brings the reader a social history commentary to celebrate the lives behind the scenes.
By the same author:
Notting Hill Behind the Scenes
Holland Park Behind the Scenes
Shepherd’s Bush Behind the Scenes
‘A stand-out book in the genre’ Picture Postcard Monthly
‘Discover the hidden stories which lie on every corner of our streets’ Kensington and Chelsea News
‘Lovingly annotated’ Robert Elms, BBC
128 pp
200 images
ISBN: 978-0-9556659-3-6
£14.99
Publication: 1 May 2023
