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Royal Botanical Gardens design diagrams rediscovered

The area near Hamilton harbour is full of many jewels; Dundurn Castle, Bayfront Park and, of course, the beautiful Royal Botanical Gardens.

A collection of architectural diagrams has been discovered and handed over to the RBG which contain sketches of the famous RBG rock garden from 1928. They were found in an Attic in Alton, Ontario, along with many other design drawings.

These sketches were created by the design firm Wilson, Bunnell and Borgstrom.

After negotiations with the family of Carl Borgstrom, who passed away in 1951, the diagrams were given to the RBG for conservation and restoration. However, many will remember that Hamilton harbour was not always as beautiful as it is today.

In fact, the negative reputation that Hamilton received in the early 20th century, as a run-down mess or just purely a steel town, was earned in part due to the massive gravel pit next to the highway from Toronto to Hamilton.

Then, in 1926, the city of Hamilton purchased this plot of land where the gravel pit was in hopes of decorating the landscape with gardens. Borgstrom’s sketches were a part of a nationwide competition for design ideas. Wilson, Bunnell and Borgstrom’s submission went on to be the winner of this competition, and the eventual designers of the rock garden.

The rock garden was part of an effort to transform the unpleasant gravel pit area into a flagship piece that would entice commuters to visit and perhaps even change their minds about Hamilton.

These sketches are important because they are the first mentions of the rock garden, the feature that would come to define the gardens in many ways. The sketches are not in perfect condition and will have to undergo major restoration before they can go on display for the public.

However, the rediscovery of the documentation surrounding the genesis of the RBG is a terrific historical document for the Garden and the people of Hamilton alike.

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