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CodePX1139
Dates1830-1914
Person NameGünther; Albert Carl Ludwig Gotthilf (1830-1914); Zoologist; Keeper of Zoology
SurnameGünther
ForenamesAlbert Carl Ludwig Gotthilf
EpithetZoologist; Keeper of Zoology
ActivityMuseum Staff: temporary staff in Department of Zoology 1857; 1st Class Assistant July 1862; promoted to Senior Assistant November 1868, Assistant Keeper June 1872, Keeper February 1875; retired 1895. During his tenure as Keeper the transfer of the Museum's zoological collections from Bloomsbury to South Kensington took place in 1882-83.

Educated at the Gymnasium at Stuttgart and the Universities of Tübingen, Berlin and Bonn (1847 - 1855). By the time Günther began work at the British Museum in 1857 he had already completed a program in theology, been awarded M.A. and Ph.D. diplomas on the strength of zoological projects, finished his medical degree, and written the advanced-for-its-time work Handbuch der Medicinischen Zoologie (published in 1858). He soon settled down to a life of research focusing on classification and life histories, particularly of fishes, but nearly as significantly of reptiles and amphibians (he was, for example, the first to recognize the ancient status of the tuatara). Among many works of import his greatest project was probably the Catalogue of the Fishes in the British Museum, published in eight volumes over an eleven year period. A very effective administrator, he is additionally remembered for his bibliographic efforts--especially as the founder of the Record of Zoological Literature, which he edited for six years. Günther was one of the first to voice support for his colleague P L Sclater's faunal regions system through a paper published in the Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London in 1858, and in general was an early champion of the developing field of zoogeography.

He became a naturalised British Citizen in 1874. Fellow of the Linnean Society 1877 and served on the council 1878 - 1905; President 1904. Received the Royal Medal from the Royal Society of London 1878; received the Gold Medal of the Linnean Society; received the Medal of the Avicultural Society. He was president of the Linnean Society of London 1896 - 1900; President of the Biological Section of the British Association, 1880; Vice-President of the Royal Society.

Tring correspondent
RelationshipsGrandfather of Albert Everard Gunther
Catalogue
RefNoTitle
DF/ZOO/200/25/232Günther, A C L G
DF/TM/1/13/13Correspondence G: Grouvelle; Günther; Gurney
DF/ZOO/200/10/292aGünther, A C L G
DF/ZOO/200/3/101Günther, A C L G
DF/PUB/516/7/2Guide to the gallery of reptilia in the Department of Zoology
DF/ZOO/200/47/499Woodward, L E
DF/ZOO/200/20/133Günther, A C L G
DF/ZOO/200/8/382aGünther, A C L G
DF/ZOO/250/10/6Gunther, Albert C L G: List of Echinoidea from the Challenger Expedition, December 1878
DF/ZOO/200/26/17Günther, A C L G
DF/PUB/516/7/3Guide to the shell and starfish galleries (mollusca, echinodermata, vermes) in the Department of Zoology
DF/ZOO/200/23/291Günther, A C L G
DF/ZOO/200/7/220aGünther, A C L G
DF/ZOO/200/19/135-136Günther, A C L G
DF/ZOO/200/49/16Günther, A C L G
DF/TM/1/56/9Correspondence G: Gunton; Gunther; Gurney
DF/ZOO/200/21/174-175Günther, A C L G
DF/ZOO/200/23/361Günther, A C L G
DF/ZOO/200/8/455Günther, A C L G
DF/ZOO/200/16/544Günther, A C L G
DF/TM/1/63/11Correspondence G: Grönvold; Grote; Grubauer; Gunther; Gurich
DF/TM/1/49/24Correspondence G: Günther; Guy
DF/ZOO/200/11/164-164cGünther, A C L G
DF/ZOO/235/1/1/1/520Meek, A S
DF/ZOO/200/6/104Peach, [Charles W]
DF/TM/1/2/12Correspondence G: Gunn; Gunther; Gurney
DF/TR/1/1/25/191Gunther, [Albert]
DF/BOT/404/1/3/87Gunther, Albert
DF/ZOO/235/1/1/2/184Sclater, W
DF/ZOO/200/22/179Günther, A C L G
DF/ZOO/200/29/217-219Günther, A C L G
DF/ZOO/235/1/1/1/432Keulemans, J
DF/ZOO/200/33/136aGünther, A C L G
DF/ZOO/200/2/190Günther, A C L G
DF/ZOO/200/14/618-621Owen, Richard
DF/ZOO/200/15/192Günther, A C L G
DF/ZOO/200/12/93-113Günther, A C L G
DF/ZOO/200/10/470-471aGünther, A C L G
DF/ZOO/200/13/20Günther, A C L G
DF/ZOO/200/13/250-252Günther, A C L G
DF/ZOO/200/15/193Günther, A C L G
DF/ZOO/200/15/194Günther, A C L G
DF/ZOO/200/15/249-251aGünther, A C L G
DF/ZOO/200/20/190aGünther, A C L G
DF/ZOO/200/17/202-203dGünther, A C L G
DF/ZOO/200/17/199Grandidier, Alfred
DF/ZOO/200/18/517-528Günther, A C L G
DF/ZOO/200/19/173-174Günther, A C L G
DF/ZOO/200/20/193-194Günther, A C L G
DF/ZOO/200/23/125-126Günther, A C L G
DF/ZOO/200/23/174Günther, A C L G
DF/ZOO/200/25/169Günther, A C L G
DF/ZOO/200/25/213-215Günther, A C L G
DF/ZOO/200/25/381-381aGünther, A C L G
DF/ZOO/200/32/225a-225eGünther, A C L G
DF/ZOO/200/32/241-243Günther, A C L G
DF/ZOO/200/35/138Etheridge, [Robert]
DF/ZOO/200/48/336Günther, A C L G
DF/ZOO/200/52/430Günther, A C L G
DF/ZOO/200/55/66Gunther, Albert Carl Ludwig Gotthilf, 1830-1914 (London)
DF/TM/1/1/4Correspondence B: Barter; Bates; Beddington; Bentley; Berlepsch
DF/ZOO/235/1/1/3/190Sclater, William Lutley
DF/TM/1/20/15Correspondence G: Gunning; Günther; Gurney; Gurney and Jackson; German Embassy
DF/TR/1/1/30/214Gunther, [Albert]
WP/6/4/1Notes on 'Island Life' by Charles Darwin
DF/ZOO/202/8'First [and second] report of the Civil Service Inquiry Commission; with correspondence' : annotated by Dr A Günther
DF/ZOO/200/25/1Günther, A C L G
DF/ZOO/200/2/222aD'Orbigny, Heide
DF/ZOO/200/3/70Etheridge, [Robert]
DF/ZOO/200/5/53Günther, A C L G
DF/ZOO/200/26/269-270Günther, A C L G
DF/ZOO/200/6/1aGünther, A C L G
DF/ZOO/200/32/268Günther, A C L G
DF/ZOO/200/8/310-311Günther, A C L G
DF/TM/1/7/11Correspondence G: Gronvold; Gunther; Gurney
DF/TR/1/1/24/172Gunther, [Albert]
DF/ZOO/202Keeper of Zoology's Miscellaneous Documents
DF/ZOO/200/3/161Günther, A C L G
DF/ZOO/200/24/443-444aWoodward, Bernard H
DF/ZOO/200/13/296-300Günther, A C L G
DF/ZOO/200/19/126-130Günther, A C L G
DF/ZOO/200/23/260-262Günther, A C L G
DF/ZOO/200/25/434Woodward, Bernard H
DF/ZOO/200/28/242Günther, A C L G
DF/ZOO/200/31/146-155aGünther, A C L G
DF/ZOO/200/37/395Schwaz, E H S
DF/ZOO/200/45/529Woodward, Arthur Smith
DF/ZOO/202/2'Miscellaneous documents': letters, lists, memoranda and reports relating to the work of the department, gathered by Dr A Günther
DF/TR/1/1/28/252Gunther, [Albert]
DF/TR/1/1/29/264Gunther, [Albert]
DF/TR/1/1/27/229Gunther, [Albert]
DF/PH/2/6/5/1Staff Group Photograph: Zoology Department
DF/ZOO/271/9Correspondence between J E Harting, A Günther and booksellers
DF/ZOO/271/10Correspondence of A Günther regarding purchase of books
DF/ZOOZoology
DF/ZOO/202/1'Miscellaneous documents': letters, lists, memoranda and reports relating to the work of the department, gathered by Dr A Günther
DF/ADM/1001/42Outgoing Letterbook
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