Hunterian exhibition celebrates bicentenary
Published: 27 March 2013
A new exhibition at the Hunterian Art Gallery is celebrating the story of Scotland’s oldest museum through its first visitor guide, published in 1813.
The new exhibition at the Hunterian Art Gallery, which is free to University of Glasgow staff and students, has received highly favourable coverage in the media, including a major, complimentary review in Scotland on Sunday. There has also been coverage in the Herald, Evening Times and on Culture24 and STV Online. Further coverage is expected.
The exhibition “This Unrivalled Collection: The Hunterian's first catalogue” opened last week at The Hunterian Art Gallery. It explores the story of Scotland’s oldest museum through its first visitor guide, published in 1813. This room-by-room guide to The Hunterian Museum was written by Captain John Laskey (c1760–1829), a soldier, naturalist and collector.
The exhibition celebrates the catalogue’s bicentenary through objects, specimens and books from the Museum’s earliest days. Many items are on show for the first time in over 150 years. They include a three-toed Sloth, a Renaissance shield, a selection of Napoleonic medals, rare butterflies and other insects, a Mastodon tusk, and a cast of the Rosetta Stone. The Stone caused a public sensation when it arrived in London in 1802.
The ground-breaking catalogue captured the spirit of the Scottish Enlightenment and a time before scientists such as Charles Darwin changed our perception of the world. Admission is £5, £3 concession, but entry is free to Hunterian Friends, as well as University of Glasgow staff and students with a valid staff/matriculation card.
For more information see http://www.gla.ac.uk/hunterian/
First published: 27 March 2013
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