The Hunterian Collection is one of the best-known collections of the University of Glasgow and is cared for by the Hunterian Museum and Art Gallery and

Glasgow University Library Glasgow University Library in Scotland is one of the oldest and largest university libraries in Europe. At the turn of the 21st century, the main library building itself held 1,347,000 catalogued print books, and 53,300 journals. In total, the ...

. It contains 650 manuscripts and some 10,000 printed books,Hunterian Collection
at the University of Glasgow 30,000 coins and 15,000 anatomical and natural history specimens. The collection was originally assembled by the anatomist William Hunter.

History

The collection was assembled by the anatomist and physician, William Hunter (1718–83), who was an avid collector of coins, medals, paintings, shells, minerals, books and manuscripts. Considerable purchases were made in Paris from monastic houses and private libraries, such as those of César de Missy and

Jean-Baptiste Colbert Jean-Baptiste Colbert (; 29 August 1619 – 6 September 1683) was a French statesman who served as First Minister of State from 1661 until his death in 1683 under the rule of King Louis XIV. His lasting impact on the organization of the countr ...

. Other major acquisitions were made in Vienna and Italy. The library and other collections remained in London after Hunter's death for the use of his nephew, the physician and pathologist, Matthew Baillie (1761–1823), as well as

William Cumberland Cruikshank William Cumberland Cruikshank (1745 in Edinburgh – 27 June 1800) was a British physician and anatomist. He was the author of ''The Anatomy of the Absorbing Vessels of the Human Body'', which was first published in 1786.Pilcher, Lewis Stephe ...

(1745–1800). It moved to the University of Glasgow in 1807. The coins were stored for six years in the Bank of Scotland.

Collection

Manuscripts and books

The manuscripts number around 650, of which approximately two thirds are medieval (biblical manuscripts) or Renaissance in origin; over a hundred of the remaining manuscripts are oriental (Persian and Arabic). The oldest manuscript is the ''Homilies'' of Saint Basil, dated by a colophon to the year 859. The printed books include 534

incunabula In the history of printing, an incunable or incunabulum (plural incunables or incunabula, respectively), is a book, pamphlet, or broadside that was printed in the earliest stages of printing in Europe, up to the year 1500. Incunabula were pro ...

. Hunter purchased a collection of biblical manuscripts from Caesar de Missy. About a third of Hunter's books are on the subject of medicine. They include key historical texts by authors including Hippocrates, Galen, Vesalius and William Harvey, as well as the writings of Hunter's contemporaries, such as William Smellie, Albinus and

Albrecht von Haller Albrecht von Haller (also known as Albertus de Haller; 16 October 170812 December 1777) was a Swiss anatomist, physiologist, naturalist, encyclopedist, bibliographer and poet. A pupil of Herman Boerhaave, he is often referred to as "the fa ...

Anatomical and natural history specimens

Hunter's collection contained about 15,000 specimens and preparations focusing on human anatomy and pathology, and natural history.

Coins

Hunter began to collect coins in about 1770, spending over £22,000 on them before his death in 1783.The Hunterian Coin Collection
/ref> The resulting collection is believed to be the finest ever assembled by a private individual.George MacDonald
''Catalogue of Greek Coins in the Hunterian Collection''
University of Glasgow (1899), p. IX George MacDonald estimated, "Its trays contain about 30,000 specimens, of which over 12,000 are Greek and nearly the same number Roman." According to the Introduction of ''Catalogue of Greek Coins in the Hunterian Collection'' (MacDonald 1899), Hunter purchased many important collections, including those of

Horace Walpole Horatio Walpole (), 4th Earl of Orford (24 September 1717 – 2 March 1797), better known as Horace Walpole, was an English writer, art historian, man of letters, antiquarian, and Whigs (British political party), Whig politician. He had Strawb ...

and the bibliophile Thomas Crofts. In 1782, in Vienna, he purchased the Hess collection, including around 700 Roman Imperial gold coins, for £2,400. King George III even donated an Athenian gold piece.George MacDonald
''Catalogue of Greek Coins in the Hunterian Collection''
University of Glasgow (1905),

Some manuscripts

* Minuscule 560 *

Minuscule 561 Minuscule 561 (in the Gregory-Aland numbering), ε 1289 (in the Soden numbering), is a Greek minuscule manuscript of the New Testament, on parchment. Palaeographically it has been assigned to the 13th century. Scrivener labelled it by numb ...

* Minuscule 562 * Minuscule 563 * Lectionary 162 * Lectionary 239 * Lectionary 240 * Lectionary 241

References

{{reflist

External links

at the ''Hunterian Museum and Art Gallery, University of Glasgow''

at the ''Special Collections, University of Glasgow''

at the ''Royal College of Surgeons of England''
The Hunterian coin collection
University of Glasgow Library collection