Portal:British Museum
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The British Museum in London was founded in 1753, to house collections donated by Sir Hans Sloane. Over two and a half centuries it has given rise to two other institutions, the Natural History Museum, and the British Library. This portal is to collect in one place related texts. These include numerous author pages for writers who worked at the museum, as well as biographies of other heads and staff.
Works about the Museum
[edit]- The past, present, and future of the British Museum Catalogue
- The British Museum Catalogue as the basis of a Universal Catalogue
- On the system of classifying books on the shelves followed at the British Museum
- Three Years in Europe by William Wells Brown (Letter IX.)
Works from the Museum's collections
[edit]- The Book of the Dead by E. A. Wallis Budge
- Account of a thunderstorm by Thomas Browne
- Commonplace notebooks by Thomas Browne
- On fossil remains in Norfolk by Thomas Browne
- To an illustrious friend on his wearisome Chatterer by Thomas Browne
- Notes on Cookery of the ancients by Thomas Browne
- Upon the darke thick miste by Thomas Browne
- A Catalogue of the Telugu Books in the Library of the British Museum by Lionel David Barnett
- Handbook of instructions for collectors. London: British Museum. 1902. (external scan)
Staff as authors
[edit]| Image | Author | British Museum position | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
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John Parker Anderson | In the library of British Museum | DNB author |
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Robert Nisbet Bain | Assistant Librarian | Bain, Robert Nisbet EB1911 author |
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George Frederick Barwick | Assistant Keeper of Printed Books | EB1911 author |
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Henry Hervey Baber | Keeper of Printed Books | Henry Hervey Baber |
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Cecil Bendall | Senior assistant in the department of Oriental manuscripts, and printed books 1882 to 1893 | DNB author |
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George Albert Boulenger | In charge of the collections of Reptiles and Fishes | EB1911 author |
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Robert Brown | Keeper of the botanical collections | Brown, Robert (1773-1858) (DNB00) |
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Ernest Alfred Wallis Budge | Keeper of Egyptian and Assyrian Antiquities | DNB author |
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Nicholas Carlisle | Carlisle, Nicholas | |
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George Clinch | Librarian, Department of Printed Books | DNB author |
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Sidney Colvin | Keeper of Prints and Drawings | DNB author, EB1911 author |
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Charles Henry Coote | Assistant Librarian | DNB author |
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Lionel Henry Cust | Assistant in the Department of Prints and Drawings at the British Museum, 1884-95 | DNB author; Director of the National Portrait Gallery, 1895-1909. Surveyor of the King's Pictures and Works of
Art |
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James Dallas | Curator | DNB author |
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Francis Douce | Keeper of Manuscripts | Douce, Francis (DNB00) |
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Campbell Dodgson | Keeper of the Department of Prints and Drawings | DNB author |
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Robert Kennaway Douglas | Keeper of Oriental books and manuscripts | DNB author |
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Edward Edwards | Assistant to Printed Books, catalogue work | Edwards, Edward (1812-1886) (DNB00) |
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Robert Etheridge | Assistant Keeper Geological Department British Museum (Natural History) | Etheridge, Robert (DNB12) |
.jpg) |
Louis Alexander Fagan | Department of Prints and Drawings | Fagan, Louis Alexander (DNB12) DNB author |
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William Younger Fletcher | Assistant Keeper of Printed Books | DNB author |
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William Henry Flower | Director of the Natural History departments | Flower, William Henry (DNB01) DNB author |
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George Knottesford Fortescue | Keeper of the Printed Books | DNB author; ODNB |
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Richard Garnett | Keeper of Printed Books | Garnett, Richard (DNB12) DNB author, EB1911 author |
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Lionel Giles | Keeper of Oriental Printed Books and Manuscripts | |
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Robert Edmund Graves | Assistant Keeper of Printed Books | DNB author |
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John Edward Gray | Keeper of Zoology | Gray, John Edward (DNB00) |
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Barclay Vincent Head | Keeper of the Department of Coins and Medals | |
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Harry Reginald Holland Hall | Keeper of Egyptian and Assyrian Antiquities | DNB author |
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John Alexander Herbert | Deputy Keeper of Manuscripts | DNB author, CE author |
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George Francis Hill | Keeper of the Department of Coins | EB1911 author |
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Augustus Hughes-Hughes | Assistant in the Department of Manuscripts | DNB author |
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Isaac Herbert Jeayes | Department of Manuscripts | |
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Henry Jenner | DNB author | |
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Charles Francis Keary | Department of Coins | DNB author |
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Leonard William King | Assistant Keeper in department of Egyptian and Assyrian Antiquities | DNB author |
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Edwin Ray Lankester | Director of the Natural History Museum (1898–1907) | "Lankester, Sir Edwin Ray," in Encyclopædia Britannica (12th ed., 1922) |
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Richard Lydekker | Keeper of Palaeontology, 1882-96; subsequently in charge of the Mammalian Exhibition Gallery. | DNB author |
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Arthur William Kaye Miller | Keeper of Printed Books | succeeded George Knottesford Fortescue |
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Freeman Marius O'Donoghue | Assistant Keeper of Prints and Drawings | DNB author |
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Antonio Genesio Maria Panizzi | Principal Librarian, having been Keeper of Printed Books | Panizzi, Anthony (DNB00) |
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Alfred William Pollard | Assistant Keeper of Printed Books | EB1911 contributor |
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Reginald Stuart Poole | Keeper of Coins and Medals | |
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Charles Hercules Read | Keeper of British and medieval antiquities | DNB author |
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William Brenchley Rye | Keeper Of Printed Books | |
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Edward John Long Scott | Keeper of Manuscripts | DNB author |
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Robert Farquharson Sharp | Keeper of Printed Books | DNB author |
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Richard Bowdler Sharpe | Assistant Keeper in the Department of Zoology | Sharpe, Richard Bowdler (DNB12) |
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John Thomas Smith | Keeper of Prints and Drawings | Smith, John Thomas (1766-1833) (DNB00) |
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William Barclay Squire | In charge of printed music | DNB author |
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George Frederic Warner | Keeper of Manuscripts | DNB author |
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Adam White | Department of Zoology | White, Adam (DNB00) |
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Bernard Barham Woodward | Librarian, British Museum (Natural History) | DNB author |
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Warwick William Wroth | Senior Assistant Keeper of Coins and Medals | Wroth, Warwick William (DNB12) DNB author |
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Albert Charles Lewis Gotthilf Günther | Keeper of the Zoological Department |
Principal librarians and directors
[edit]- 1756–1772 Gowin Knight Knight, Gowin (DNB00)
- 1772–1776 Matthew Maty Maty, Matthew (DNB00)
- 1776–1799 Charles Morton Morton, Charles (1716-1799) (DNB00)
- 1799–1827 Joseph Planta Planta, Joseph (1744-1827) (DNB00)
- 1827–1856 Sir Henry Ellis Ellis, Henry (1777-1869) (DNB00)
- 1856–1866 Anthony Panizzi Panizzi, Anthony (DNB00), Sir Anthony Panizzi, K.C.B.
- 1866–1873 John Winter Jones Jones, John Winter (DNB00), The late John Winter Jones, V.P.S.A.
- 1873–1888 Edward Augustus Bond Bond, Edward Augustus (DNB01)
Keepers
[edit]
- Printed Books
- 1803-1806 Beloe, William (DNB00) Keeper
- 1806-1812 Henry Ellis
- 1812-1837 Baber, Henry Hervey (DNB00), Keeper
- 1837- Anthony Panizzi
- 1866-1869 Watts, Thomas (DNB00), Keeper
- 1870-1875 Rye, William Brenchley, Keeper
- 1875-1890 Bullen, George (DNB01), Keeper
- Cary, Henry Francis (DNB00), Assistant Keeper of Printed Books
- Garnett, Richard (DNB00), Assistant Keeper of Printed Books, father of Richard Garnett (1835–1906) who was Keeper from 1890 to 1899
- Other
- Alexander, William (1767-1816) (DNB00), Keeper of Prints and Drawings
- Birch, Samuel (DNB01), Keeper of Oriental Antiquities
- Carpenter, William Hookham (DNB00), Keeper of Prints and Drawings
- Combe, Taylor (DNB00), Keeper of Antiquities
- Cureton, William (DNB00), Assistant Keeper of Manuscripts
- Franks, Augustus Wollaston (DNB01), Keeper of British and medieval antiquities and ethnography
- Gray, Edward Whitaker (DNB00), Keeper of Natural History and Antiquities
- Gray, George Robert (DNB00), Assistant Keeper of Zoology
- Hawkins, Edward (1780-1867) (DNB00), Keeper of Antiquities
- Holmes, John (1800-1854) (DNB00), Assistant Keeper of Manuscripts
- Henry Josi in Josi, Christian (DNB00), Keeper of Prints and Drawings
- Konig, Charles Dietrich Eberhard (DNB00), Keeper of Natural History and Modern Curiosities
- Madden, Frederic (DNB00), Keeper of Manuscripts: Frederick Madden
- Major, Richard Henry (DNB00), Keeper of Printed Maps and Plans
- Martineau, James (DNB01), Assistant Keeper
- Story-Maskelyne, Mervyn Herbert Nevil (DNB12), Keeper of Minerals
- Maurice, Thomas (DNB00), Assistant Keeper of Manuscripts
- Nares, Robert (DNB00), Keeper of Manuscripts
- Newton, Charles Thomas (DNB01), Keeper of Greek and Roman Antiquities
- Ottley, William Young (DNB00), Keeper of Prints and Drawings
- Reid, George William (DNB00), Keeper of Prints and Drawings
- Renouf, Peter le Page (DNB01), Keeper of Egyptian and Assyrian antiquities
- Rieu, Charles Pierre Henri (DNB12), Keeper of Oriental Manuscripts
- Shaw, George (DNB00), Keeper of Natural History
- Solander, Daniel Charles (DNB00), Keeper of Natural History
- Templeman, Peter (DNB00), Keeper of the Reading Room
- Vaux, William Sandys Wright (DNB00), Keeper of Coins and Medals
- Waterhouse, George Robert (DNB00), Keeper of Minerals, of Geology
- Wright, William (1830-1889) (DNB00), Assistant Keeper of Manuscripts
Others
[edit]- Astle, Thomas (DNB00), catalogue of the Harleian Manuscripts for the British Museum (ODNB)
- Bennett, John Joseph (DNB00), Banks botanical collection
- Bliss, Philip (DNB00), briefly on staff
- Brewer, John Sherren (DNB00), catalogue work
- Forshall, Josiah (DNB00), catalogue work, secretary
- Leach, William Elford (DNB00), zoology
- Morgan, Charles Octavius Swinnerton (DNB00), Donated clocks etc
- Oliphant, Thomas (DNB00), catalogue work
- Ralston, William Ralston Shedden- (DNB00), catalogue work
- Richardson, George Fleming (DNB00), catalogue work, sub-curator
- Smith, George (1840-1876) (DNB00), Assyriologist
- Stevenson, Joseph (DNB00), Manuscripts department
- Tennant, James (1808-1881) (DNB00), catalogue work