Bicentenary Exhibition at The Botanics from April, 2017

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Bicentenary Exhibition at The Botanics from April, 2017

Glasgow Botanic Gardens 2017: celebrating 200 years of flourishing growth

Glasgow Botanic Gardens celebrates its bicentenary (1817 – 2017) with a series of events running throughout the year. It all kicks off in April with The Bicentenary Exhibition at the Kibble. I went along to meet Ewen Donaldson, Manager of Glasgow Botanic Gardens to hear about the exciting plans for the bicentenary celebration including the exhibition in the Kibble.

Ewen Donaldson, Manager Glasgow Botanic Gardens

The centre piece of the exhibition will be an oil painting by local artist Alan Richardson. Also on display will be information and posters tracking the history of the Botanic Gardens over the past two hundred years at the Botanics.

History of the Botanic Gardens

Thomas Hopkirk founder of Glasgow Botanic Gardens

The distinguished Glasgow botanist Thomas Hopkirk, with support from the University of Glasgow and local dignitaries founded the Botanic Gardens in 1817. The Royal Botanical Institution of Glssgow ran the gardens from an initial base at Sandyford Place near Sauchiehall Street, providing a supply of plants to the University for medical and botany classes. William Jackson Hooker, one of the world’s most eminent botanists was appointed Professor of Botany at the University of Glasgow in 1821 – under his guidance collections of plants expanded rapidly and in 1939 a new site was acquired. In 1842 the new Gardens opened on the banks of the River Kelvin in Glasgow West End.

The Kibble Palace, located in the Botanic Gardens, was a gift from John Kibble – having been re-located from his home in Coulport in 1873. An enthusiastic amateur photographer he produced some of the largest photographs of his time. Glasgow Corporation took over the Gardens in 1891.