tour 2 of 20
Enlightenment: Classifying the World
King George III's Library
During the eighteenth century many wealthy men
aspired to own a library that would show that they were
'gentlemen'. Their libraries contained not only
books, but also artefacts, especially coins and medals. These
objects were considered as historical evidence that could be
interpreted in the light of knowledge from the books in the
libraries.
George III
(reigned 1760-1820) had these ambitions for his own library and had
the money to create one that could cover all areas of knowledge.
But he also intended it to be a national asset and allowed scholars
to use it in Buckingham House (now Buckingham
Palace).
The thousands of
books in George III's library were catalogued by subject
matter. It also contained a large collection of coins and medals.
Like other collections of coins and medals, these were arranged in
sequences that related them to the chronologies of written
histories.
The library came
to the British Museum in 1823, and was housed in a purpose-built
room that became known as the King's
Library.
Illustration:
The interior of the King's Library at the British Museum in
1851