Sir Hans Sloane

Available for over a year

Mark Spencer explores the life of the 17th-century collector of natural and cultural artefacts, Sir Hans Sloane. The vast number of natural and cultural artefacts Sir Hans Sloane collected formed the nucleus of two of the most iconic museums in the world The British and Natural History Museums in London. A philanthropist with strong sense of civic duty Sloane wanted his collection to be kept available for the contemplation of the British public and so upon his death it was offered to the King and Parliament for the very reasonable price of £20,000. The British museum (from which the Natural History Museum was founded) was the first national public museum in the world and was open to all 'studious and curious persons'. Botanist Mark Spencer guides us through the Sloane Herbarium to explain why Sloane is his Natural History Hero. First heard on BBC Radio 4 in September 2015.