|
Sir Hans Sloane bequeathed his collection to King George II for £20,000, upon his death in January 1753.
|
|
On June 7th, 1753 King George II established the British Museum.
|
|
King George II added two more collections to the British Museum's original collection including the Cottonian Library (a collection by Sir Robert Bruce Cotton from Elizabethan times), and the Harleian Library (a collection by the Earls of Oxford).
|
|
Sir Hans Sloane's collection included approximately 7,000 manuscripts, 40,000 printed books, and 337 volumes of prints, drawings, and specimens of dried plants.
|
|
The original British Museum's building was the Montagu House, a mansion bought from the Montagu family for £20,000.
|
|
The original collection of the British Museum was based largely on manuscripts, books, and natural history.
|
|
In 1772 the British Museum acquired a collection of antique Greek vases, making its first shift away from manuscripts, books, and other literary pieces.
|
|
In 1784 the British Museum acquired a collection by Sir William Hamilton that included Roman and Greek antiquities.
|
|
By 1802 the British Museum had set up a Buildings Committee to handle plans for expansion. The collection had become too large and Montagu House had begun to fall into disrepair.
|
|
Montagu House was demolished and the new building's construction began in 1823.
|
|
By 1857 the Reading Room and he quadrangular building had been built.
|
|
In 1802 the British Museum acquired the Rosetta Stone.
|
|
In 1816 the British Museum acquired the Parthenon sculptures, also known as the Elgin Marbles, which are now being fought over as Greece believes they should be returned to their country.
|
|
In the late 1800s the natural history collections were moved to the Natural History Museum, which left more space in the British Museum for antiquities, and other items, including those from other cultures.
|
|
In the late 1800s the British Museum helped to establish the Egypt Exploration Society. In 1897 the British Museum was bequeathed a large collection of ancient Egyptian items, including the Oxus Treasure (a collection from between 550 - 330 BC).
|
|
At the end of the 1800s the British Museum required a lot more space and it has continued to expand ever since. 69 houses were purchased in the area around the museum to make room for expansion in the late 1890s.
|
|
Today there are more than 8 million objects housed in the British Museum. Only 1% (roughly 80,000) of the items are on display at any time, but 2 million can be viewed online.
|
|
More than 6 million people visit the British Museum each year.
|
