SKU: 8664388331

A Thing in Disguise

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Description

A Thing in DisguiseA brilliantly conceived biography of Joseph Paxton, horticulturist to the Duke & Duchess of Devonshire at Chatsworth, architect of the Crystal Palace at the Great Exhibition of 1851 and one of the greatest unsung heroes of the Victorian Age In the nineteenth century, which witnessed a revolution in horticulture and urban planning and architecture, Joseph Paxton, a man with no formal education, strode like a colossus. Head gardener at Chatsworth by the

A brilliantly conceived biography of Joseph Paxton, horticulturist to the Duke & Duchess of Devonshire at Chatsworth, architect of the Crystal Palace at the Great Exhibition of 1851 and one of the greatest unsung heroes of the Victorian Age

In the nineteenth century, which witnessed a revolution in horticulture and urban planning and architecture, Joseph Paxton, a man with no formal education, strode like a colossus. Head gardener at Chatsworth by the age of twenty-three, and encouraged by the sixth Duke of Devonshire whose patronage soon flourished into the defining friendship of his life, Paxton set about transforming this Derbyshire estate into the greatest garden in England. Visitors there were astonished by the enormous glasshouses and ambitious waterworks he built, the collection of orchids, the largest in all England, the dwarf bananas and the gargantuan lily, the trees and plants brought back from all over the world. Queen Victoria came to marvel and, increasingly, with the development of the railway in which Paxton was also involved, daytrippers from all over the country.

It was the Crystal Palace, home of the Great Exhibition in 1851, that secured Paxton's fame. His design, initially doodled on a piece of blotting paper, was the architectural triumph of its time. Two thousand men worked for eight months to complete it. It was six times the size of St Paul's Cathedral, enclosed a space of 18 acres, and entertained six million visitors. By the time of his death fourteen years later, 'the busiest man in England' according to Dickens, was friends with Brunel and Stevenson and in constant demand to design public parks and gardens. His last, seemingly most eccentric project was for a Great Boulevard under glass, a crystal arcade that would connect all the main railway termini in London.

Drawing on exclusive access to Paxton's personal letters, Kate Colquhouns's remarkable biography is a compelling story of a man who typifies the Victorian ideal of self-improvement and a touching portrait of one of that era's great heroes.



Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: Harper Perennial
Published: 09/11/2009
ISBN: 9780007143542
Pages: 320
Weight: 0.81lbs
Size: 8.00h x 5.00w x 0.76d
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SKU: 8664388331

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DMP
Port Orchard, US
★★★★★ 4
GREAT REMOTE HOLDER BUT BEWARE OF POSSIBLE STRONG PERFUMY SCENT!
Color: Black, Size: Small
This is a very nicely made and attractive remote holder, perfect for my storage and organizational needs. It is a good value for the money. The only reason I did not give it 5 stars is that the small pack that was in the holder to prevent moisture had a very strong perfumy smell that gave me a headache even after I removed it and left it in a place away from me to air out for over a week. I can still smell it, although it seems to be gradually fading. I would have returned it and ordered another but figured I would get the same situation so it would not be worth the trouble.
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Reviewed in the United States on April 2, 2025
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Griz
Grantham, US
★★★★★ 5
Good product
Color: Black, Size: Small
So far so good. It has enough spots for remotes, seems to be good quality and works well. Its staggered height of the pockets works great and looks fine on the end table.
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Reviewed in the United States on November 3, 2025
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Bob Young
West Palm Beach, US
★★★★★ 5
Perfect remote organizer.
Color: Brown, Size: Small
Works better than I expected. Perfect size. No more looking for remotes. Mad well.
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Reviewed in the United States on December 11, 2025
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Nancy G. Sullivan
Grantham, US
★★★★★ 5
Great remote organizer
Color: Brown, Size: Small
Great product. I would highly recommend.
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Reviewed in the United States on March 15, 2026
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GramRastaG
Grantham, US
★★★★★ 5
Nicely made
Color: Gray, Size: S
Great remote caddy, sturdy well made and look nice. I got two of them and they work perfectly
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Reviewed in the United States on April 19, 2026

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