Joseph Banks, the Founding of the Royal Horticultural Society and Hatchards of Piccadilly

I happened to be at an event for the launch of Joseph Sassoon’s excellent study of the Sassoon family held at Hatchards bookshop on Piccadilly the other night. I used the lift at the rear of the shop, which I didn’t actually know existed. Inside is this plaque….

What interested me of couse was the mention of Joseph Banks, who of course is crucial to our understanding of Chinese botany and the recorded version of Lord Macartney’s Mission to China.