BULLETIN 



OP 



THE CHARLESTON MUSEUM 



Vol. 7 CHARLESTON, S. C, APRIL, 1911 No. 4 



HISTORY OF THE MUSEUH 



Origin in 1773 



A series of articles on the history of the Museum, published in 

 the Bulletin at various times during the past five years, has put 

 on record many long-forgotten events and has already established 

 the claim of the Charleston Museum to the distinction of being 

 the oldest museum in America. Mr. William G. Mazyck has 

 shown that the Museum originated under the auspices of the Char- 

 leston Library Society at some time previous to 1777, but little 

 hope has been entertained of ever recovering the exact date. It 

 is, therefore, with the greatest satisfaction that the following ad- 

 vertisement of this event is reprinted from the South Carolina Ga- 

 zette and Country Journal of March 30 and April 6, 1773. The 

 same advertisement also appeared in the South Carolina Gazette 

 (Powell's) of April 5 and 12, 1773. It cannot but be regarded 

 as especially fitting that this discovery should be made by a trustee 

 of the Library Society — Mr, John Bennett — by whom it was 

 brought to the attention of the writer. 



Important as this advertisement is in fixing the date of the or- 

 ganization of the oldest museum in America, it must be considered 

 even more remarkable for the breadth of plan and high purpose 

 with which it endowed the infant museum; and it is a happy coin- 

 cidence that it is reprinted at a moment when the community is 



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