A.W. Franks: Nineteenth-century collecting and the British Museum

by Marjorie L. Caygill; John F. Cherry

Between 1851 and 1897, the collections of the British Museum expanded into previously neglected areas including prehistory, the Islamic world and British and Medieval antiquities. This growth was due to the energy and obsession of one manP Augustus Wollaston Franks (1826-97). Frands founded a department which is the ancestor of half of today's curatorial departments, spanning the entire world from prehistory to the present. Although an employee, he poured his private fortune into the Museum.PPublished to mark the centenary of his death, this volume explores the background to his life and career. The contributors survey many diverse areas of 19th century collecting and assess the way in which his work developed a knowledge and appreciation of art, antiquity and ethnography.

320 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1997