New-York tribune., 1909-02-14
BRITISH MUSEUMS S BIRTHDAY.
How Great Institution Was Founded One Hun
dred and Fifty Years Ago.

Many interesting and little known details regard
ing the origin OF the British Museum. which re-
Gently celebrated its 10th anniversary are in the
possession of the museum officials. Its Foundation
took place in George lis reign. says The London
Express" when the following collections were
brought together and housed under roof
|. Cottonian manuscripts, coins. medals and other
antiquities collected by Sir Robert Cotton between
1870 and 1881. and presented 10 the nation by Sir
John Cotton in r7Oo.
Old Royal Library. refounded restored by
Henry. Prince of Wales. son of James I.
Arurdellan manuscripts. collected by Thomas
Howard, Earl OF Arundel and Norfolk, who died in
1916.
Thomason tracts. printed and manuscript
Harleian manuscripts. Collected by Robert Har-
ley. Earl OF Oxford, who died in, 112A
Sloane museum of natural history and antiqui-
ties. and library of manuscripts and printed books.
collected by William Courten. who died in 1902, and
continued by Sir Hans Sloane, who died in 1852, be-
queathlng the collection to the British nation Sir
Hans'e bequest was conditional on payment or
With these collections as its foundation, the Brit.
ish Museum Incorporated by act OF Parliament
in 1I5S, and opened for public use on Monday Jan
uaIy is. 1853. -,
tees Of the great COLLECTIONS was .the choice of
suitable building for national museum. 1t is not
buckingham House now the royal palace Tor
Another offer was NIontagn House. Bloomsbury.
which then stood the extreme outskirts OF Lon
don. Northward there was nothing between II ana
the village of Highgate but an expanse Of fields
and hedgeroWs. The house had seven and q hal1
acres of garden, and Its price was only &lO,Z0O-
The offer OF Montagu House was eventually ac-
cepted by the trustees and approved by the gov
srnment Alterations necessary to- adapt the build
Ing 10 its new increased the outlay to more
than &23,00O y = -
original trustees was given by Horace WapOle in
on of his letters to Sir Horace Mann.
"I employ my time chiefly he wrote, in Febru-
ary 175S ''n the guardianship OF cmbryos and
cookie shells. Sir Hans Sloane valued his museum
at $4,000 and would anybody who loves hippo
pOtamuses, sharks with one ear, and spiders big
as geese. .
: NE are a charming wise set-all philosophers.
botanists antiQuarianS and mathematicians-and
adjourned our first meeting because Lord Maccles-
field. chairman, was engaged in a party for
finding the longitude
The original regulations provided for the opening
of the museum every day in the week except Sat
urday and Sunday. For the greater part of the
Year the public hours were from a. IN. 10 p. M.
on certain days in the summer months the hours
of opening were from p. to p to
meet the requirements of persons engaged in busi-
ness during the early part of the day.
Admission was by no means so easy then as il
made and registered a day previous to the visit.
Another application was necessary to receive the
ticket and then the ticket could rarely be
used at the time of receiving it. Practically ach
visit to the museum entailed two visits to the
'pohteF' s. lodge.
once inside visitors were hurried round by
szlceSSa sIch rnpid rate that acute observer
has left it record that he nothing but rooms,
glass cases and shelves
Since those early days the museum has under
gone,many changes. The new buildings were begun
In 1s45. and the magnificent reading the
present day opened In 1851. having fl50OO1
~ was designed to accommodate more than three
hundred readers and Z million volumes