Agra Macdonnel Park Polo Ground Excavation

Trained at the Kew Gardens, London, Albert Edward Peter Griessen (or A. E. P. Griessen) first came to India in 1898. Initially, he was posted at the Government Botanic Gardens at Sibpur, Calcutta (Kolkata), but was soon appointed as the Superintendent of the Taj Gardens, United Provinces. Restoration works at Taj and Agra gained rapid momentum under Griessen, as can be seen from this photograph of him and his team working at the Polo ground, MacDonnell Park, Agra. Besides the Taj Gardens, Mr. Griessen also worked on the Government Circuit House, Khanialams Nursery, Tomb of Etmad Ud Daula, Sikandra, the grounds surrounding the Queen Victoria Memorial Statue, and the Delhi Durbars of 1903 and 1911. Griessen’s work in India earned him due recognition, as he was awarded the Kaiser-I-Hind and the Royal Victorian Cross.

This photograph is a part of the Archive of Albert Edward Griessen. This collection also consists of a large drawing plan titled ‘Imperial Delhi Government—House, formal Indian garden’, letters addressed to and from Griessen, and much more.