Museum Glass

Abstract

IN connection with a work I am writing on “The History of Anatomy,” I have been induced to trace the rise, of the anatomical museum, and this appears to have depended to a larger extent than one would have suspected on the price of spirit and museum jars. In the second half of the eighteenth century John Hunter was using about 5000 museum jars for his spirit preparations. It would be interesting to learn whether these were made specially to his order, as I suspect, which firm he dealt with, and how much he was charged. Perhaps some old-established glass manufacturers can give me some isolated or continuous records of the prices of circular and rectangular glass jars used in museum work, and also the period when they were first manufactured in the ordinary course of business routine. From 1750 to 1850 is the period of most importance.