Sir Hans Sloane
1660 - 1753
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Sir Hans Sloane was a wealthy doctor and keen collector. Throughout his life, he added to his collections from Jamaica by purchasing from other explorers and dealers. In his later years he became President of the influential scientific organization, the Royal Society.
By the time he died, he had amassed a hoard of thousands of natural history objects, books and artworks. He left these to be purchased by the nation to found the British Museum. Sloane's great legacy later became many separate institutions, including the British Library, the British Museum and The Natural History Museum. |
