A Family of Artists in Greenwich Park: Capturing the Park
The Royal Observatory in Greenwich Park is renowned for its pioneering role in the histories of astronomy and navigation. This is where groundbreaking achievements were won by the Astronomers Royal and their assistants over decades of work.
But tucked beneath its famous domes and telescopes, in the quiet Observatory Garden, we discover a lesser-known slice of Observatory history. It is the story of a group of remarkable women who once called Greenwich Park home.
The Astronomer Royal
Until the late 1940s when the Observatory relocated its operations to Herstmonceux, the institution was led by the Astronomer Royal who lived on site with his family and domestic staff. The longest-serving Astronomer Royal was Sir George Biddell Airy who held the position for an impressive 46 years, from 1835 until 1881.
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Sir George Biddell Airy, photographed by John Watkins in the 1860s -
Lady Richarda Airy, photographed by Cundall, Downes & Co in November 1860
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Sir George Biddell Airy, photographed by John Watkins in the 1860s © National Portrait Gallery, London -
Lady Richarda Airy, photographed by Cundall, Downes & Co in November 1860 © National Portrait Gallery, London
The Airy Family
Sir George and his beloved wife Richarda had nine children. The couple lived at the Observatory for almost fifty years, and this is where their six surviving children grew up – four daughters and two sons.
Richarda was a skilled amateur artist, as were two of her sisters – Elizabeth and Caroline Smith, both frequent visitors to the Observatory – and her daughter Christabel.
A Talented Foursome
Living in Greenwich Park gave this family of artistic women ample opportunity to develop their talents. Not only did they have the run of the park with its majestic tree avenues and dramatic landscape, but they also had access to the Observatory grounds that were hidden from public view.
Between them, these women created a small but significant collection of 35 watercolours and drawings that now form part of the Royal Greenwich Observatory Archive held at Cambridge University Library.
Capturing Life in the Park
These artworks offer us a tantalising glimpse of the Victorian park which these women knew intimately. We see its familiar slopes and wide variety of trees – even the deer make an appearance!
What is notable about these drawings is that almost all of them feature the Observatory – the Airy family home. It is sketched from many different perspectives, perched dramatically at the top of the Grand Ascent, often framed perfectly by trees.
One might expect these women to have tackled the famous view from the Observatory, looking out over the city – but there are no drawings of this perspective, instead keeping a close focus on their family home.
The Garden
Many of the artworks show the gardens surrounding the Observatory – including the Astronomer’s private kitchen garden, known at the time as the Lower Garden. This is where fruit and vegetables were grown for the family and their staff.
This area is now known as the Observatory Garden and is no longer private – it is part of Greenwich Park and open to visitors. Tucked beneath the Observatory, just off The Avenue, it retains the quiet charm that appears to have made it a favourite spot for the Airy women.
Caroline, Christabel and Elizabeth all sketched or painted this garden, which sits beneath the high walls of the Observatory and its familiar domes and towers – although the profile of the buildings and domes has since changed.
In these works we see careful rows of growing vegetables, beds ready for planting and wispy fruit trees. In one drawing attributed to Elizabeth, a young boy appears to shake a tree – perhaps in the hope of collecting falling fruit. An empty basket sits behind him.
Christabel’s Watercolours
In Christabel’s work, we get glimpses of daily life at the Observatory. In one watercolour, we see a view from the dining room, looking across the Front Court. A worker examines the open gates of the Observatory, through which a Greenwich Pensioner can be seen with his telescope. Veteran sailors like this were often seen in the park, where they rented out their telescopes to make a few pennies from day trippers.
In another watercolour, a woman is pictured in the Observatory’s Meridian Garden, examining a beehive – it is richly detailed, with tiny flecks of paint representing a swarm of bees.
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Christabel Airy, View from the east window of the Dining Room, Royal Observatory, Greenwich, 29 May 1856 -
Christabel Airy, View of the South East Dome, Royal Observatory, Greenwich, March 1863 -
Richarda Airy or Elizabeth Smith, Royal Observatory, Greenwich, The Magnet House, 17 July 1847
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Christabel Airy, View from the east window of the Dining Room, Royal Observatory, Greenwich, 29 May 1856 (RGO 116/5/4) Greenwich Park -
Christabel Airy, View of the South East Dome, Royal Observatory, Greenwich, March 1863 (RGO 116/5/7) Greenwich Park -
Richarda Airy or Elizabeth Smith, Royal Observatory, Greenwich, The Magnet House, 17 July 1847 (RGO 116/5/2) Greenwich Park
As the collection’s archivist Dr Emma Saunders has noted, this attention to detail makes the family’s collection of artworks an ‘important record’ of the Observatory buildings. The artworks document changes that were made to the site during this period, also recording structures that no longer stand.
It is clear that the women had a keen interest in the scientific work carried out at the Observatory, paying close attention to instruments and equipment on site.
Discover more
To find out more about the lives of the women in the Airy family, read the next blog in this two part series: A Family of Artists in Greenwich Park: Life in the Park.
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