Administrative, exhibition and events records including:
Founded in 1807 , The Hunterian is Scotland's oldest public museum and home to one of the largest collections outside the National Museums. The Hunterian is one of the leading university museums in the world and its collections have been Recognised as a Collection of National Significance.
The Hunterian is the legacy of Dr William Hunter (1718-1783), pioneering obstetrician and teacher with a passion for collecting, who studied at the University of Glasgow from 1731 to 1736. In 1783 Hunter bequeathed his substantial collections of anatomical and pathological preparations, coins, books, manuscripts, botanical, geological and other materials to the University of Glasgow. He also gifted £8,000 towards the cost of building a museum in which to house his vast collection, which the University named the "Hunterian" in his honour.
The Hunterian Museum opened its doors in 1807 at it's first site, a classical style building designed by William Stark, in the east end near Glasgow Cathedral. In 1870, when the University moved to Gilmorehill, in the west end, the Hunterian collections were relocated to a custom-built museum in the Gilbert Scott Building. The collections have grown considerably since the Museum's foundation, and now include some of the most important work by artists such as Charles Rennie Mackintosh and James McNeill Whistler, as well as superb books, manuscripts, geological, zoological, anatomical, archaeological, ethnographic and scientific instrument collections. A new Collection Study Centre opened at the Kelvin Hall in 2016.
Generally arranged chronologically within record series
The vast majority of records are open, however some items are restricted due to Data Protection. Please contact the duty archivist to apply for permission to view, email: library-asc@glasgow.ac.uk.
University of Glasgow
Digital file level list available in searchroom
No known copies
None which affect the use of this material
Reproduction subject to usual conditions: educational use and condition of documents
Any work intended for publication that is based on research from this collection must be approved in advance. Apply in the first instance to Archives and Special Collections, email: library-asc@glasgow.ac.uk
This material has been appraised in line with standard GB 248 procedures
Retained in the custody of the University of Glasgow
Further accessions are expected
This material is original
Description compiled in line with the following international standards: International Council on Archives, ISAD(G) Second Edition, September 1999and National Council on Archives, Rules for the construction of personal, place and corporate names
Scotland is the location of all place names in the administrative/biographical history element, unless otherwise stated.
Fonds level description compiled by Kirsty Menzies, Catalogue Data Assistant, 19 October 2017.
