Release date is 2022-02-17

Richard Tonsing, MWS and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.)

"Lives of the Founders of the British Museum, Part 2 of 2" by Edward Edwards is a historical account written in the late 19th century. The work explores the contributions of notable individuals who were instrumental in establishing and augmenting the British Museum from 1570 to 1870. It highlights the roles of early benefactors and the significance of their collections in developing a national repository of knowledge and culture, emphasizing the importance of private donations in enriching public institutions. The opening portion of the book presents a discourse by Antonio Panizzi, advocating for the accessibility of resources in the British Museum for scholars of all backgrounds. He argues that the nation has contributed minimally to the development of the museum's library compared to what was given by private individuals. The text introduces various prominent figures such as Clayton Mordaunt Cracherode, William Petty, and Dr. Charles Burney, detailing their contributions and legacies, including significant collections of manuscripts and printed works. Through their benevolence, these individuals not only enriched the museum but also ensured that scholars from all walks of life could access invaluable resources for their research and education. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Originally published: United Kingdom: Trübner and Co., 1870