The money to found a British Museum was raised by a lottery in the middle of the last century.
Sir Hans Sloane having offered his books and museum of natural history to Parliament for less
than half its value (20 000 Pds. .) it was purchased together with the famous Harleian and
Cottonian MSS. and deposited in Montague House Bloomsbury which had been bought of the Earl
of Halifax for the sum of 10 250 Pds. . Of the present British Museum this beginning forms a
very insignificant part. The nucleus was established however and soon eminent men who valued
their literary and scientific collections as storehouses that should be accessible to all
classes of students began to turn their attention to the collections in Montague House.
Foremost among the donors George the Second should be mentioned as having made over to the
nation the royal library together with the right of demanding a copy of every book entered at
Stationers' Hall. Successively the libraries of Sir Joseph Banks Dr. Birch Sir John Hawkins
Dr. Burney and Garrick and the Royal Arundel Lansdowne Bridgewater and other MSS. were
added to the great store. Captain Cook returned home with additions to the museum of natural
history [...] A guide to London's most famous museum. Originally published in 1852.
