John Bradby Blake: The Young Botanist Who Bridged East and West
This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast:
November 4, 1745
On this day, we celebrate the birth of the English botanist John Bradby Blake [BRAD-bee BLAKE].
Though he lived a tragically short life - dying at just twelve days after his 28th birthday - John left behind an extraordinary legacy that bridges East and West through botanical art and discovery.
As a young supercargo (or trading agent) for the British East India Company in Canton, China, John pursued his true passion for botany during his spare time.
Working closely with Chinese artists, particularly one named Mauk-Sow-U [MOWK-SOW-yoo], John commissioned nearly 200 exquisite botanical illustrations of Chinese plants - many of which were completely unknown in the West at the time.
But John wasn't content simply documenting these botanical treasures. With methodical care, he experimented with different ways to transport live plants and seeds across the vast oceans. He carefully packaged specimens in tortoiseshell boxes and wax, testing various soil types and watering methods. His eventual success in shipping Chinese plants to Britain and the American colonies earned him a special place in horticultural history.
In the bustling trading port of Canton, young Blake forged what was truly remarkable for his time - genuine collaborative relationships with Chinese artists and scholars.
He worked particularly closely with an artist named Mai Xiu [MY-shoo], also known as Mauk-Sow-U [MOWK-SOW-yoo], whom Blake considered not just an employee but a true partner in their "joint endeavor" to document China's botanical treasures.
What makes Blake's work especially touching is how he crossed cultural boundaries at a time when few Westerners did so.
His notes mention not just the famous Hong merchants but also the gardeners and plant collectors who shared their knowledge with him.
Through his translator and friend Whang Ah Tong [WANG-ah-TONG], Blake created a bridge between two very different worlds of botanical understanding.
After John's death, Whang-y-Tong [WANG-yee-TONG] brought John's precious drawings to England. These illustrations eventually influenced generations of botanical artists and plant hunters, creating a lasting bridge between Chinese and Western botanical traditions.
Today, John's meticulous paintings and notes are preserved at the Oak Spring Garden Library, where they continue to tell the story of this remarkable young man who, in just a few short years, helped open a window into China's rich botanical heritage for the Western world.
Nearly 200 exquisite illustrations that blend Chinese artistic traditions with Western botanical precision. Each painting tells a story of cross-cultural collaboration, with Chinese characters carefully annotated alongside Latin names, creating a unique dialogue between East and West that continues to inspire researchers today.
Perhaps the most poignant aspect of Blake's story lies in what might have been. Had he lived beyond his 28 years, his "Complete Chinensis" project might have revolutionized our understanding of Chinese flora decades before later botanists made their mark. Yet even in its unfinished state, his work opened doors for future plant hunters and helped establish a template for East-West scientific cooperation that would influence generations to come.
Thank you for this valuable history. There’s an exhibition on in the Garden Museum in London called “Seeds of Exchange” Feb 11 – May 10, 2026 on this very topic and about John Bradby Blake. Perhaps, much of the collection on display is on loan from the Oak Spring Garden Library. Is there a book you could recommend for further reading?
https://www.gardenmuseum.org.uk/whats-on/seeds-of-exchange/
What a wonderful note to receive. Thank you for sharing the exhibition information.
Seeds of Exchange at the Garden Museum sounds like a perfect companion to John Bradby Blake’s story. And yes, much of Blake’s surviving material is preserved at the Oak Spring Garden Foundation, so that connection would make beautiful sense.
For further reading, here are a few strong places to begin.
One of the best scholarly overviews is an article by Jordan Goodman and Peter R. Crane in Curtis’s Botanical Magazine titled “The Life and Work of John Bradby Blake.” It explores Blake’s work in Canton, his collaboration with Chinese artists, and how his drawings and correspondence influenced Western botany.
Several additional essays in the 2017 issue of Curtis’s Botanical Magazine also examine Blake’s role in 18th-century botanical exchange between China and Britain.
If you are interested in primary sources, the Oak Spring Garden Foundation holds Blake’s original drawings and correspondence. Their collections and exhibition materials are invaluable for understanding the visual and scientific networks of the period.
I also recommend looking for an exhibition catalogue for Seeds of Exchange: Canton and London in the 1700s. Museum catalogues often include thoughtful essays and reproductions that bring the historical context to life in an accessible way.
Thank you again for pointing readers toward the exhibition. It is lovely to see Blake’s work continuing to bridge East and West nearly 250 years later. 🌿
Jennifer
Thank you for such helpful information. I just returned from the exhibition at the Garden Museum in London, and unfortunately, they did not have an exhibition catalogue. I did get a closeup look at Blake’s and Mak Sau’s watercolour drawings, which was such a privilege. The portrait of Whang At Tong by Joshua Reynolds is quite extraordinary. Not only is it so beautifully rendered, but it would be one of the few realistic portrayals of a Chinese at that time, and certainly a Chinese of ordinary means. There were actually two Reynolds portraits of Whang on display: one large one on loan from the UK’s National Trust and a smaller one from a private collection. All botanical drawings on display were on loan from the Oak Spring Garden Foundation, but there were also drawings on loan from the V&A. It is a small exhibition but quite impressive. Though there was no companion book to the exhibition, their gift shop did feature a book from the National Trust on the influence of Chinese and Japanese wares and designs on historic homes and gardens in Britain: Borrowed Landscapes by Emile de Bruijn. I hope it’s okay if I share a link here. I have ordered a copy for myself, but it has not arrived yet, but a quick browse in the gift shop left an impression. https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/borrowed-landscapes-emile-de-bruijn/1142827300?ean=9781781300985
Your helpful references led me to new finds, like Curtis’s Botanical Magazine with its long, rich history. Thank you so much! Angie
Angie,
Thank you so much for taking the time to share this — what a treat to hear from someone who actually saw the exhibition in person.
Your description of the portraits of Whang At Tong and the botanical drawings helps bring the whole show to life for those of us who couldn’t make the trip to London. I’m especially intrigued to hear there were two Reynolds portraits on display — what a rare opportunity to see both together.
And thank you for mentioning *Borrowed Landscapes*. That sounds like a fascinating companion to the themes of the exhibition, and I’m sure many readers here will appreciate the recommendation.
It means a lot to know the show led you to explore things like *Curtis’s Botanical Magazine*. That long thread of botanical art and plant discovery is one of my favorite parts of garden history.
Thanks again for sharing your experience with us — and I hope you’ll report back once your copy of the book arrives!
Warmly,
Jennifer 🌿
Dear Jennifer, my copy arrived! Sadly, I cannot recommend it for horticultural or garden history in terms of the influences of China and Japan. There were mainly interiors of stately homes of the National Trust but very few gardens. Instead, for those interested in the history and art of the Chinese garden, I would recommend a book called The Chinese Garden by Maggie Keswick (1941-1995) first published in 1978 but re-released in 2003 (third edition). Beautifully illustrated. I provide a wonderful quote from Maggie’s preface which perfectly encapsulates the Chinese garden, in contrast to the serene and sparse Japanese gardens well-loved by most everyone: “Confusing and dense, dominated by huge rock piles and a great number of building all squeezed into innumerable, often small spaces… perhaps the closest analogy to the experience would be […] a walk through Chartres cathedral. In both, the first sensuous impressions lead to more cerebral pleasures, and lying behind the forms […] are apparently unending layers of meaning which become increasingly esoteric and mystical as they are explored.”
What better to pass one’s time than to learn a bit of history and garden design at the same time!