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BRITISH MUSEUM

The British Museum is the great national museum in London. It owes its foundation to Sir Hans Sloane, who, in 1753, bequeathed his various collections, including 50,000 books and manuscripts, to the nation, on the condition of 20,000 pounds - less by 30,000 pounds than the original cost - being paid to his heirs. Montague House, which was bought for the purpose for 10,250 pounds, was appropriated for the museum, which was first opened on the 15th January, 1759. The original edifice having become inadequate, a new building in Great Russell Street was resolved upon in 1823, the architect being Sir R Smirke, whose building was not completed until 1847. In 1857 a new library building was completed and opened at a cost of 150,000 pounds. It contains a circular reading-room 140 feet in diameter, with a dome 106 feet in height. This room contains accommodation for 300 readers comfortably seated at separate desks, which are provided with all necessary conveniences. Later, the accommodation having become again inadequate, it was resolved to separate the objects belonging to the natural history department from the rest, and to lodge them in a building by themselves. Accordingly a large natural history museum was erected at South Kensington, and the specimens pertaining to natural history (including geology and mineralogy) were transferred thither, but they still formed part of the British Museum for some time. Later the literary section was split away to form the British Library, and for many years a copy of every book, pamphlet, newspaper, piece of music etc published anywhere in British territory had to be conveyed free of charge to the museum, this practice being reduced at the end of the 20th century when it was deemed by some as unnecessary to store every bus time table and the like published throughout Britain.
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