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ships.TheroutinechangedinJune,whenthe
motherandsonmadeatourofEnglandand
Scotland.Thisjourneywasmeanttobethe
crowningfinaleofAdam)ssix-monthstudy,
asurveyofindustry,cultureandnaturalscen-
ery,andanintroductiontothepeopleresponsi-
blefortheeconomicandculturalachievements
ofBritain.Itwasaprodigiousexpedition:the
pair,accompaniedbyasmallentourage,criss-
crossedthreethousandkilometres,fromthe
southernmostIsleofWighttoBlairAthollin
thenorthandfromBristolinthewesttoEdin-
burghintheeast.Theysawfactories,gardens,
cities,mines,prisons,waterfalls,universities
andcaves,lakesandagriculturalwastelands.
BothIzabelaandAdamJerzykeptdiarieson
theroad.Hisnolongerexists,hers,remarkably,
survivedwarsandrelocationsofthearchives
andisnowpreservedintheCzartoryskiLibrary
inCracow.Themanuscript,stillinitsoriginal
redmoroccobindingwithanembossedgoldti-
tleinEnglishTourthroughEngland,isaunique
recordoftheaestheticexperiencesandforeign
contacts.Everythingaboutitisextraordinary
whenweconsiderwhatwastocome:thecre-
ationoftheculturalcentreatthefamilyseat
atPuławy,thereversaloftheCzartoryskis)
fortunesandthelossofPolishindependence.
PrincessIzabelaisrememberedtodaypri-
marilyasthepatronofpoetsandartistsbased
8
Preface
atPuławyandasthecreatorofPoland)sfirst
nationalmuseumthere(1800).Sheplacedher
collectionsintwopavilionsinhernewlyde-
signedlandscapegarden(1790-1831).Inits
timePuławywasoneofthemostadmiredgar-
densinPoland.Until1831,whenCzartorys-
kawasdrivenfromthere,herestateattracted
visitorsforlessonsinthehistoryofacountry,
whichnolongerenjoyeditsownindepend-
entexistence.Undoubtedly,forthefirstthree
decadesofthenineteenthcentury,thePuławy
estateprovidedavisualtemplateforthereso-
lutionofprivateandcommunalfeelingsinthe
spaceofanaturalgarden.
InLondon,PrincessIzabelahadonlystart-
edthinkingaboutthegardeninPuławy.Sim-
ilarly,hercollectingpassionwasjustbegin-
ningtoemerge.ThetouraroundEnglandand
Scotlandwasthereforeapivotalopportunity
togatherideasandinspirationsforthefuture.
Thediarygivesaninsightintotheextensive
personallinksbetweentheCzartoryskifamily
andawidenetworkofBritishindustrialists,sci-
entistsandlandowners.AdamJerzyresponded
totheintroductionswithengagedcuriosity.
Theencountersprovedtobe
the
meetingsof
kindredmindsandweremaintainedandcul-
tivatedwellpasttheinitialvisits.
Inthelamentableabsenceofhisnotes,we
needtothinkofthisvoyageasIzabela)sjourney.
