Lives of the Founders of the British Museum, Part 2 of 2: With Notices of Its Chief Augmentors and Other Benefactors, 1570-1870.Edwards, Edward
History
Lives of the Founders of the British Museum, Part 2 of 2: With Notices of Its Chief Augmentors and Other Benefactors, 1570-1870.
Edwards, Edward
Book collectors -- Great Britain; British Museum
[Sidenote: SPACE TO BE TRANSFERRED FROM PRINTED BOOKS TO MANUSCRIPTS.]
It is, therefore, proposed that the study, marked No. 57 on the ground
floor plan, be removed to the north end of No. 55, now occupied by
Printed Books, and that the site of No. 55 be attached to the
Department of Manuscripts. In that gallery, one hundred and fifteen by
eighteen, excellent accommodation, with abundance of light, would be
found for twenty thousand manuscript volumes—for fifteen students at
least (this number is ample if admission be strictly and _bonâ fide_
limited to the class of persons for whom it is intended) at separate
seats, each having a table space of two feet and a half in depth and
four in length,—and for ten assistants or more, admirably placed for
superintendence. The area of the eastern recess of No. 56 would then
be quite clear, and available for the exhibition of manuscripts, like
the western recess in the same room. And when as large an exhibition
of manuscripts as the space permits is accessible to the public (and
still more accommodation for this exhibition might be found in the
present Department of Manuscripts), the same restrictions as have been
suggested with respect to coins and to prints ought to be imposed on
the handling of select manuscripts.
It now remains to find space wherein to provide proper accommodation
for the binder, as well as for the Trustees’ offices, for the
Collection of Prints and for the Collection of Coins.
[Sidenote: BUILDINGS IN THE GARDEN ATTACHED TO PRINCIPAL-LIBRARIAN’S
HOUSE.]
On the east side of the roadway parallel to the Department of
Manuscripts, there is a piece of ground extending to Montague Street
on the east, to the house No. 30, in that same street towards the
north, and to the Principal-Librarian’s house on the south. On a
portion of this ground stands an old building, now partly appropriated
to the binder and partly used as a guard-house; the remainder forms
the garden attached to the residence of the Principal-Librarian. It
appears to your Committee that by substituting a new building for the
one existing, and by building on the greater part of the garden, ample
accommodation will be found for what is wanted. Your Committee cannot
abstain from mentioning that this great sacrifice of personal
convenience on the part of the Principal-Librarian was suggested and
brought under their notice by that officer himself.
It was some years ago suggested by the Government that the military
guard might be dispensed with at the Museum; at times when the
services of the army were pressingly required, it was felt that
soldiers might be more usefully employed than in being kept for mere
show at the Museum. It was, however, thought that on removing the
military guard, better provision should be made for the safety of the
Museum.
[Sidenote: MILITARY GUARD DISCONTINUED.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account