Sir Joseph Paxton

Sir Joseph Paxton (1803- 1865) was a hugely talented man. He started as an assistant gardener with no education & rose to become the head gardener to the Duke of Devonshire. His design of the conservatory at Chatsworth House served as a model for his design of the Crystal Palace for the London Exhibition of 1851. Incredibly, he designed this giant, intricate building in less than 9 days on a piece of blotting paper. The man must have been a genius! His Magazine of Botany, published in 16 volumes from 1834-1849 have become highly prized for their brilliant colors and the outstanding beauty of the plants illustrated. He also published Paxton’s Flower Garden which is much rarer and larger. The superb illustrations were the work of Constans & Prevost who produced paintings of "miraculous, fine quality" according to Wilfred Blunt.