Ceylon, circa 1880
by W. H. L. Skeen

Established in 1821, the Botanic Gardens at Peradeniya, located approximately 6km from the capital city of Kandy in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), provided 19th century voyagers with the possibility to learn about over 2000 species of plants native to the island. This photograph, showing a stunning example of a species of giant bamboo that grew to well over 20 meters in height, was sold out of the Scottish photographer W. H. L. Skeen’s studio in Colombo to the numerous foreigners passing through.