28 ON NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUMS. 



it flourished as one of the sights of London. An American 

 naturalist, C. W. Poole, describing a visit to London in 1800, 

 says : — " The trouble to obtain a sight of the British Museum 

 renders it of less value to the public than a private collection 

 belonging to Mr. Parkinson, called the Leverian Museum." 

 Eventually, however, the popularity of this museum declined, 

 and in 1806 it was sold by auction — the sale extending over 65 

 days, and including 7,819 lots. The Rotunda was afterwards 

 used for some time as a scientific institution. 



Another metropolitan museum, well known in the early part 

 of the last century, was Bullock's Museum, which had the 

 advantage over Lever's of a more central situation, and a smaller 

 admission fee. William Bullock was originally a silversmith and 

 jeweller in Lord Street, Liverpool, where he opened, in 1801, a 

 Museum of Natural and Artificial Curiosities, which he described 

 -as " comprising upwards of 800 objects." The admission to this 

 modest collection was is., or by an annual ticket costing 10s. 6d. 

 After removing his collection to other premises in Liverpool, he 

 brought it, in 1809, to London, and exhibited it at No. 22, 

 Piccadilly, at first under the name of " the Liverpool Museum." 

 By this time the original 800 specimens had increased to 7,000, 

 described as " Natural and Foreign Curiosities, Antiquities, and 

 Products of the Fine Arts," which had cost the owner 

 ^20,000. Its popularity was so great that Bullock was led 

 to build for its reception the Egyptian Hall. This remarkable 

 building, now about to be pulled down, was erected in 1812, from 

 the designs of Mr. P. F. Robinson, at a cost of ^"30,000. When 

 transferred to the " Egyptian Gallery " the collection became 

 known as the " London Museum," and was described by the 

 owner, in his guide book, as consisting of upwards of 15,000 

 specimens " collected during 20 years of unwearied application, 

 and at an expense exceeding ;£ 30,000." Mr. Bullock refers to 

 his museum as " an Establishment for the Advancement of the 

 Science of Natural History, which in magnitude and expense, 

 he presumes, is unparalleled as the work of an individual." 35 



In 1819, Bullock's collection was brought to the hammer, the 

 sale including 3,331 lots, extending over 26 days, and realizing 

 about ^12,000. After the sale, Bullock went to Mexico, and 



35 " A Companion to the London Museum and Pantherion, containing a brief description 

 of upwards of 15,000 natural and foreign curiosities, antiquities, and productions of fine 

 arts ; now open for public inspection at the Egyptian Temple, Piccadilly, London." By 

 William Bullock. 



