The Indian museum, 1814-1914.

  • Indian Museum.
Date:
1914
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: The Indian museum, 1814-1914. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by UCL Library Services. The original may be consulted at UCL (University College London)

    26/280 (page 2)
    premises erected at the corner of Park Street on land granted by Government. Six years later, definite effort was made to give effect to the intention to establish a Museum, when, on the 2nd February, 1814 Dr. Nathaniel Wallich, a Danish Botanist, who had been taken prisoner at the siege of Seram- pur but released in recognition of his scientific attainments, wrote a letter to the Society in which he strongly advocated the formation of a Museum and offered not only to act as Honorary Curator but also to supply duplicates from his own valuable collection to form a nucleus. The proposal found ready acceptance with the members of the Society, and it was determined to establish a Museum to be divided into two sec- tions, one which would now be called archaeological, ethno- logical and technical, the other geological and zoological. The Librarian of the Society was placed in charge of the former section, while Dr. Wallich was appointed Superintendent of the latter. The scope of the Museum was defined in the widest possible terms, as an institution for the reception of all articles that might be sent to illustrate oriental manners and history, or to elucidate the peculiarities of Art or Nature in the East. Contributions were invited and specimens were solicited so that the Museum might include inscriptions on stone or brass, ancient monuments, Hindu or Mahomedan, figures of Hindu deities, ancient coins, ancient manuscripts, instru- ments of war peculiar to the East, instruments of music, vessels used in religious ceremonies, implements of native art -and manufacture, animals peculiar to India, dried or pre- served, skeletons or particular bones of such animals, birds stuffed or preserved, dried plants and fruits, mineral or vegetable preparation peculiar to Eastern Pharmacy, ores of metals, native alloys of metals, minerals of every description, and other like articles serviceable to history and science. The Museum thus inaugurated thrived rapidly under the guidance of its enthusiastic founder Dr. Wallich, and indivi- dual collectors, amongst whom may be mentioned Col. Stuart, Dr. Tytler, General Mackenzie, Mr. Brian Hodgson, Capt. Dillon and Babu Ramkamal Sen, readily placed at the disposal of the Society interesting and curious objects col- lected from various parts of the country. After the resigna-