Historical information

This work forms part of the collection assembled by the historian Dorothy Rogers, that was donated to the Kew Historical Society by her son John Rogers in 2015. The manuscripts, photographs, maps, and documents were sourced by her from both family and local collections or produced as references for her print publications. Many were directly used by Rogers in writing ‘Lovely Old Homes of Kew’ (1961) and 'A History of Kew' (1973), or the numerous articles on local history that she produced for suburban newspapers. Most of the photographs in the collection include detailed annotations in her hand.

Significance

The Rogers Collection provides a comprehensive insight into the working habits of a historian in the 1960s and 1970s. Together it forms the largest privately-donated collection within the archives of the Kew Historical Society.

Physical description

'Roseneath' was constructed in stages in the I850s by John Ambrose Kitchen, a soap-maker. In 1870 the brick house received an N.A.V. of £60 while in 1885 it was purchased by Edward John Dunn, a geologist. A new wing was built at the right side of the house and several rooms as well as the coach house, loft and groom's quarters were added. In 1903, during Dunn's ownership, the property was described as having eight roorns. The garden is recorded as having been designed by Baron von Mueller who was the Government Botanist from 1853.
Source: City of Kew Urban Conservation Study, 1988

Inscriptions & markings

"32"