William Hunter's World: The Art and Science of Eighteenth-Century Collecting

Hancock, E. G., Pearce, N. and Campbell, M. (Eds.) (2015) William Hunter's World: The Art and Science of Eighteenth-Century Collecting. Series: The histories of material culture and collecting, 1700–1950. Ashgate: Farnham, Surrey. ISBN 9781409447740

Abstract

Despite William Hunter's stature as one of the most important collectors and men of science of the eighteenth century, and the fact that his collection is the foundation of Scotland's oldest public museum, The Hunterian, until now there has been no comprehensive examination in a single volume of all his collections in their diversity. This volume restores Hunter to a rightful position of prominence among the medical men whose research and amassing of specimens transformed our understanding of the natural world and man's position within it. This volume comprises essays by international specialists and are as diverse as Hunter's collections themselves, dealing as they do with material that ranges from medical and scientific specimens, to painting, prints, books and manuscripts. The first sections focus upon Hunter's own collection and his response to it, while the final section contextualises Hunter within the wider sphere. A special feature of the volume is the inclusion of references to the Hunterian's web pages and on-line databases. These enable searches for items from Hunter's collections, both from his museum and library. Locating Hunter's collecting within the broader context of his age and environment, this book provides an original approach to a man and collection whose importance has yet to be comprehensively assessed.

• Item Type: Edited Books
• Status: Published
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Hancock, Mr Geoff and Pearce, Professor Nick
• Subjects: N Fine Arts > N Visual arts (General) For photography, see TR; N Fine Arts > NK Decorative arts Applied arts Decoration and ornament; N Fine Arts > NX Arts in general
• College/School: College of Arts & Humanities > School of Culture and Creative Arts > History of Art; College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Biodiversity, One Health & Veterinary Medicine
• Publisher: Ashgate
• ISBN: 9781409447740

Related URLs

• University of Glasgow Library Catalogue