Historical information

The Alexandra Gardens in Kew face Cotham Road. The land on which the gardens were created was purchased from the owners of 'Madford' in Wellington Street by the Borough of Kew. The rotunda was built to commemorate the jubilee of Kew in 1910. Demolished in circa 1975, it was replaced as part of a Bicentennial project in 1988. The current single storey rotunda in a reinterpretation of the original.

Significance

One of the earliest photographs of the rotunda

Physical description

A tiny gelatin silver photograph of the Rotunda in the Alexandra Gardens, Kew that was built in 1910 to commemorate the jubilee of the Town of Kew. The photo, one of the earliest of the rotunda/bandstand shows the elements of its construction. Ground floor of brick, first floor with wooden railing and gabled roof covered with tiles. The roof sports a flagpole.

Inscriptions & markings

Pencil reverse: "Kew Gardens"