Colonizing Nature: The Tropics in British Arts and Letters, 1760-1820

274 Pages·2004·9.815 MB·English

by  Beth Fowkes Tobin

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Colonizing Nature
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Colonizing Nature
The Tropics in British Arts and Letters,
 
–
Beth Fowkes Tobin
University of Pennsylvania Press
Philadelphia
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Copyright © University ofPennsylvania Press
All rights reserved
Printed in the United States ofAmerica on acid-free paper
         
Published by
University ofPennsylvania Press
Philadelphia,Pennsylvania -
Library ofCongress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Tobin,Beth Fowkes.
Colonizing nature : the tropics in British arts and letters,–/ Beth Fowkes Tobin.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references (p.) and index.
ISBN ---(cloth : alk.paper)
.English literature—History and criticism..Tropics—In literature..Great Britain—
Colonies—History—th century..Great Britain—Colonies—History—th century.
.Gardening—History—th century..Gardening—History—th century..Gardening
in literature..Colonies in literature..Nature in literature..Tropics—In art.I.Title.
PR.TT 
.′—dc

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For Joe
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Contents
List of Illustrations ix
Preface xi
Introduction:Troping the Tropics and Aestheticizing
Labor 
1 Tropical Bounty,Local Knowledge,and the Imperial
Georgic 
2 Provisional Economies:Slave Gardens in the Writings of
British Sojourners 
3 Land,Labor,and the English Garden Conversation Piece
in India 
4 Picturesque Ruins,Decaying Empires,and British Imperial
Character in Hodges’s Travels in India 
5 Seeing,Writing,and Revision:Natural History Discourse and
Captain Cook’s A Voyage towards the South Pole,and Round
the World 
6 Domesticating the Tropics:Tropical Flowers,Botanical Books,
and the Culture of Collecting 
Epilogue:Decolonizing Garden History 
Notes 
Select Bibliography 
Index 
Acknowledgments 
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Illustrations
. Agostino Brunias,Linen Market,Dominica 
. Agostino Brunias,A West Indian Flower Girl and Two other Free Women
ofColor 
. Johann Zoffany,Mr and Mrs Warren Hastings 
. Arthur Devis,Sir John Shaw and His Family in the Park at Eltham
Lodge,Kent 
. Arthur Devis,Thomas Lister and His Family 
. Arthur Devis,Robert and Elizabeth Gwillym and their Family,of
Atherton Hall,Herefordshire 
. Paul Sandby,Hackwood Park,Hampshire 
.Bifrons Park,Kent 
. Arthur Devis,Leak Okeover,Rev.John Allen and Captain Chester at
Okeover Hall,Staffordshire 
. Johann Zoffany,The Drummond Family 
. Johann Zoffany,The Impey Family Listening to Strolling Musicians,
Calcutta 
. Arthur William Devis,The Hon.William Monson and his Wife,
Ann Debonnaire 
. Arthur William Devis,William Dent with his Brother,John,and an
Indian Landlord,Anand Narain 
. Arthur William Devis,Louisa Dent and her Children 
.William Gilpin,View into a Winding Valley 
. B.T.Pouncy,after William Hodges,A View ofBidjegur 
.Gaspard Poussin Dughet,View ofTivoli with Rome in the
Distance 
. W.Angus,after William Hodges,The Pass ofSicri Gully 
. J.Fittler,after William Hodges,A View ofthe Palace ofthe
Nabob Asoph ul Dowlah at Lucknow 
.J.Walker,after William Hodges,A View ofAgra 
. W.Byrne,after William Hodges,A View ofthe Fort ofGwalior 
. J.K.Sherwin,after William Hodges,The Landing at Erramanga,
one ofthe New Hebrides 