Ark Gallery

John Tradescant the elder (c. 1570 - 1638) and his son John Tradescant the younger (1608 - 1662) were plant hunters, gardeners and collectors of curiosities. They opened the first museum in the country called the 'Ark'. Inside was a permanent exhibition of his curiosities: man made and natural, weather a weapon to work of art. The Ark was intended to represent nature, art, religions and ways of life from across the globe. The Garden Museum has a permanent display, shown here, that recreates Tradescant's Ark.