To celebrate the publication of a new edition of ‘The Education of a Gardener’, Director Christopher Woodward and design historian Dr Lucy Inglis share new research from the archive of Russell Page (1906–85).
Russell Page was the most in-demand garden design of his generation, the author of designs from Ischia to Fort Worth, from Giza to Turin, but also perhaps the most elusive.
His archive was deposited at the Museum in 2017 and 700 designs have been catalogued with the support of The Geraldine Stutz Foundation and our Russell Page Archive Council. Dr Lucy Inglis and Christopher Woodward will pick from this catalogue, and will also be joined by Page’s nephew Nigel Corbally Stourton, who will share precious personal insights.
About The Education of a Gardener
Russell Page was one of the most legendary gardeners and landscapers of the last century. He designed gardens great and small for clients around the world. A rare combination of born plantsman and garden architect, he was a master of colour, form and structure. Page also understood that most tricky dimension of garden design: the passage of time. From Longleat to the Frick Collection, his gardens can be enjoyed to this day.
Packed with wisdom and beautiful writing, this book offers a unique perspective on great garden design and is essential reading for every gardener.
We are hugely grateful to the Geraldine Stutz Trust, as without their funding the work on the Russell Page Archive would not be possible.
Bios
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Lucy Inglis
Lucy Inglis
Lucy Inglis is an archivist and historian with a particular interest in access and engagement.
Lucy originally trained as an art historian; after being awarded her doctorate from the Courtauld Institute of Art, she worked as the researcher and then associate editor on the William Scott Catalogue Raisonné (published 2013). She subsequently qualified as an archivist and records manager.
She has been involved with the Russell Page Archive since it arrived at the Museum. She has researched and written about key projects from the Page Archive for the Garden Museum website, and co-edited the Garden Museum journals ‘The Archive of Russell Page’ and ‘Russell Page in America’. -
Nigel Corbally Stourton
Nigel Corbally Stourton
Nigel was born in County Meath, Ireland. Educated at Ampleforth and the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, He served in the Grenadier Guards, seeing active service in Cyprus in 1957. He was regimental intelligence officer in Germany when facing the GSFG ( Group of Soviet Forces Germany). He retired as a Captain in 1965 and worked for IBM Public Affairs for the next 25 years. There he was involved with the development of corporate and social responsibility activities of large corporations. He focussed on the arts and the environment. He was a founder member of the Association for Business Sponsorship of the Arts. While leading the Futures Debate in IBM Worldwide he was co-opted by James Hansen, Chief Climate Scientist, NASA. He initiated IBM support for the UN Global Resource Information Database project in Geneva. Subsequently he was the first speaker to be invited from the private sector to address the UN World NGO Conference in 1987. His subject was The Imbalance between World Population, The Environment and Global Resources, thus ringing the early bells of climate change.
Nigel maintains his interest in the climate issue, writing an occasional paper and lobbying the UK government and others. He is of the firm belief that the UN is handling the climate issue without the urgency needed while ignoring the truth that scientific evidence so clearly provides.