rubber and remains

lydia waite

Starting in the late 19th century, the rubber boom happened as a result of the rapid growth in the European market which demanded large commodities of the material for products such as tires and industrial goods. The Boom was mainly concentrated in the Amazon Basin until British botanist Henry Wickham sent 70,000 rubber seeds over to Kew Gardens, which after being tested and researched at the gardens the seeds then were germinated and sent over to British colonies. However the boom caused horrible consequences for indigenous communities, who were forced into labour under brutal working conditions by western companies. Indigenous people faced violence, enslavement, and displacement as their habitats were destroyed. Not only this but the indigenous knowledge was masked by European Science and the communities didn't receive any recognition for their knowledge. My outcomes inform visitors to the gardens about the unspoken exploitation that happened to indigenous communities as a result of kew gardens testing on the rubber plant which lead to the start of the rubber boom.