The Gardiner’s Labyrinth

Originally printed in the 1500s, this was one of the first practical gardening manuals. It was “corrected and enlarged” for a modern audience and reprinted in London in 1657. This is one of the illustrations. Two gardeners are working over a section of raised beds. The left hand one is planting something spiky and seems to be wearing a lace edged day cap, whilst his comrade who is doing a spot of digging wears a more conventional broad brimmed hat. Both are wearing plain shoes, boots would have marked them out as common labourers rather than skilled gardeners.

Unknown Man & Boy

Painted in 1640 by an unknown British artist, this portrait hangs in Oxborough Hall in Norfolk. It’s not at all flashy and the details are tricky to spot, but it’s a really nice image of two people in their best clothes. The man is dressed in his best black suit and cloak with a plain, shoulder wide falling band with knotted bandstrings and matching cuffs. He looks like a cleric, but he could be any kind of professional. The boy is in dark green. We can only see his doublet and the smaller linen band that just about covers the standing collar.