SKU: 8664388331

A Thing in Disguise

Sale price$9.17 Regular price$10.19
Save 10%

Pay in installments of $2.55 with ShopPay, AfterPay and Klarna

Shipping Estimate
USA
  • USA
  • CAN

Ships within 48 hours · Estimated delivery Jul 19 - Jul 24

Promo Codes Available:

For Your Every Summer RSVP, with Code: SUMMER15

Description

A Thing in DisguiseA brilliantly conceived biography of Joseph Paxton, horticulturist to the Duke & Duchess of Devonshire at Chatsworth, architect of the Crystal Palace at the Great Exhibition of 1851 and one of the greatest unsung heroes of the Victorian Age In the nineteenth century, which witnessed a revolution in horticulture and urban planning and architecture, Joseph Paxton, a man with no formal education, strode like a colossus. Head gardener at Chatsworth by the

A brilliantly conceived biography of Joseph Paxton, horticulturist to the Duke & Duchess of Devonshire at Chatsworth, architect of the Crystal Palace at the Great Exhibition of 1851 and one of the greatest unsung heroes of the Victorian Age

In the nineteenth century, which witnessed a revolution in horticulture and urban planning and architecture, Joseph Paxton, a man with no formal education, strode like a colossus. Head gardener at Chatsworth by the age of twenty-three, and encouraged by the sixth Duke of Devonshire whose patronage soon flourished into the defining friendship of his life, Paxton set about transforming this Derbyshire estate into the greatest garden in England. Visitors there were astonished by the enormous glasshouses and ambitious waterworks he built, the collection of orchids, the largest in all England, the dwarf bananas and the gargantuan lily, the trees and plants brought back from all over the world. Queen Victoria came to marvel and, increasingly, with the development of the railway in which Paxton was also involved, daytrippers from all over the country.

It was the Crystal Palace, home of the Great Exhibition in 1851, that secured Paxton's fame. His design, initially doodled on a piece of blotting paper, was the architectural triumph of its time. Two thousand men worked for eight months to complete it. It was six times the size of St Paul's Cathedral, enclosed a space of 18 acres, and entertained six million visitors. By the time of his death fourteen years later, 'the busiest man in England' according to Dickens, was friends with Brunel and Stevenson and in constant demand to design public parks and gardens. His last, seemingly most eccentric project was for a Great Boulevard under glass, a crystal arcade that would connect all the main railway termini in London.

Drawing on exclusive access to Paxton's personal letters, Kate Colquhouns's remarkable biography is a compelling story of a man who typifies the Victorian ideal of self-improvement and a touching portrait of one of that era's great heroes.



Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: Harper Perennial
Published: 09/11/2009
ISBN: 9780007143542
Pages: 320
Weight: 0.81lbs
Size: 8.00h x 5.00w x 0.76d
Shipping Notes
  • Free Standard Shipping on $100+ Orders to the USA.
  • Except Preorder products are shipped in 48 hours.
  • Delivery to the USA:
  1. Standard Shipping : 3-10 business days
  • If time is of the essence, please consider selecting expedited delivery for faster service.
Exchange/Return Notes
  • We offer a 30-day return/exchange service after receiving.
  • Final sale items are not eligible for returns or exchanges.
  • To process your return/exchange, please contact us at [email protected]
  • Please click here for more details>>> Return & Exchange Policy
SKU: 8664388331

Discover Niche Categories That Outsell

Top-Converting Item to Boost Your Average Order

4.4 ★★★★★
Based on 5 reviews
Sort
Highest Rating
Newest First
Oldest First
Product Reviews
Q
Verified Purchase
Q
Birmingham, US
★★★★★ 5
Good
Color: #1 Pearl White
Kind of small wish it was bigger but my lady says product itself is good , perfect and very nice looking for vanity great stocking stuffer for holidays
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on December 8, 2025
L
Verified Purchase
LunaMoon2025
West Palm Beach, US
★★★★★ 3
Not my thing but other than that it’s pretty good
Color: #1 Pearl White
It actually is really good and works as you might think it will. Just not my kinda thing.
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on May 22, 2026
C
Verified Purchase
Cynthia
Waukegan, US
★★★★★ 5
Love it
Color: #1 Pearl White
Love it… lasted a long time
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on April 7, 2026
E
Verified Purchase
Esmeralda morales
Waukegan, US
★★★★★ 5
Quería que mi cabello brillará y asi fue
Color: #1 Pearl White, Color: #1 Pearl White
Ufff lo ame 10 de 10 no lo dudes es el mejor
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on May 13, 2026
R
Verified Purchase
ReviewByMe
Boise, US
★★★★★ 5
Love it
Color: #1 Pearl White
It is a very fine and pretty powder. Sprays on perfectly. The more layers you apply, the more shimmer you get. It is NOT obnoxious glitter and is truly a shimmer/sparkle powder. I used it on my arms, chest, neck and loved the way it looked. It didnt show up in photos the way the shimmer highlighter face powder I used did, but it was great under lights. The little retro squeeze applicator is super fun to use. Would buy again.
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on October 21, 2024

recommand products