Saturday 10 January 2009

Luís Filipe de Aboim Pereira

Set of photographs from 1961-2 by L F A Pereira. From the Lisbon Municipal Photographic Archive. Valuable documentation in that they date from a period when the gardens had not yet suffered alteration after passing into state hands.




The Bougainvillea glabra growing on the Music Room Tower. Removed during restoration works late 1990's it was over 100 years old.
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Porch overlooking lawn. Notice pair of Roman busts either side of steps, somehow they escaped the auctioneer's hammer. They remained in this position until late 1980's when one was broken, the other stolen. The broken bust has now been placed inside the house - awaiting plastic surgery.

Triton fountain, surrounded by lush planting (Phormium tenax) - no sign of ridiculous box hedges. The trumpet seems already to have undergone some unsightly surgical repair.

Ornamental lake - with water! reflecting palace amongst the waterlilies. Large clump of reeds at foot of lawn where today exists the scar of bulldozed "repairs" following 1983 floods. The ugly path that is worn by visitors who trail along the lake would be well avoided by the reinstatement of this clump. Formerly the path passed on the far side of the lake from where this photograph was taken.
Another photograph taken from the lakeside path. Clump of Doryanthes excelsa in foreground existed until quite recently. Also Yuccas. Long gone are Papyrus in centre of lake. Notice size of two Metrosiderus species growing to right of lawn and the tall Kentia palm (Howea forsteriana) in front of the palacio.

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