Table of Contents

Foreword Preface Origins of the Museum: Sir Hans Sloane and his collection The Museum established: Montagu House A new building: The Bloomsbury development To South Kensington: The great divide The collections: Building the treasurehouse Exhibitions and education: Reaching the audience Research: Unravelling mysteries The digital age: Into the future

About the Author

John Thackray worked at the Natural History Museum from 1969 until his death in 1999, the last 10 years as the Museum Archivist. He was secretary for the Society of the History of Natural History over a period of 17 years. Bob Press worked as a curator and researcher at the Natural History Museum from 1973 becoming Associate Keeper of Botany before his retirement in 2011. He has a special interest in plant collectors and the history of collecting.