Facets

1565

#11490

De omni rerum fossilium genere, gemmis, lapidibus, metallis, et huiusmodi, libri aliquote, plerique nunc primum editi.

A collection of eight separate tracts, most with their own title page, by seven authors, all edited, and some with commentary by Gesner. The work is relevant for the history of "natural history" for containing Kentman…

1584

#7555

De reconditis et praecipuis collectaneis ab honestissimo et solertissimo Francisco Calceolario Veronensi in Musaeo adservatis, Joannis Baptistae Olivi medici testificatio.

Digital facsimile from Google Books at this link.

1599 –1667

#290

Opera omnia. 13 vols.

Aldrovandi, first director of the botanical garden at Bologna, was a prolific writer. Some of his writings made their first appearance in print after his death. He designed them as a whole to form an enormous illustra…

1599

#7553

Dell'historia naturale di Ferrante Imperato napolitano Libri XXVIII. Nella quale ordinatamente si tratta della diversa condition di miniere, e pietre. Con alcune historie di piante et animali; sin hora non date in luce.

The famous illustration of Imperato's museum or "cabinet of curiosities" published in this work was the first pictorial representation of the natural history research collection formed by Renaissance humanist". The co…

1609

#11505

Le iardin, et cabinet poetique de Paul Contant, apoticaire de Poictiers.

Written in verse, this is the first catalogue of a private botanical garden published in France, and the first book that could be called a French catalogue of a natural history museum. Digital facsimile from the Inter…

1613

#9512

Hortus Eystettensis: Sive, diligens et accurata omnium plantarum, florum, stirpium, ex variis orbis terrae partibus, singulari studio collectarum, quae in celeberrimis viridariis arcem episcopalem ibidem cingentibus, hoc tempore conspiciuntur, delineatio et aduiuum repræsentatio.

"The Hortus Eystettensis is itself a ‘paper museum’, a pictorial record of the flowers grown in the greatest German garden of its time, that of the Prince Bishop of Eichstätt, Johann Conrad von Gemmingen. As part of a…

1616 –1622

#11498

Fasciculus rariorum et aspectu dignorum varii generis quae collegit et suis impensis aeri ad vivum incidi curavit atque evulgavit.

Besler was the first to illustrate a natural history Wunderkammer in Germany. The engraved frontispiece of this work, which Besler published himself, depicts Besler exhibiting the contents to a visitor. The first edit…

1622

#7554

Musaeum Franc. Calceolari Jun. Veronensis, a Benedicto Ceruto, medico, inceptum, et ab Andrea Chiocco, med. physico, descriptum et perfectum.

Digital facsimile from the Internet Archive at this link.

1622

#7574

Continuatio rariorum et aspectu dignorum varii generis quae collegit et suis impensis aeri ad vivum indici curavit atque evulgavit....

This was the second edition, with 7 additional plates, of the privately printed catalogue of the natural history collection or museum of the Nuremberg botanist Basilius Besler, author of Hortus Eystettensis (1613). Th…

1628

#11499

Les oeuvres de Jacques et Paul Contant pere et fils maistres apoticaires de la ville de Poictiers. Divisées en cinq traictez. 1. Les commentaires sur Dioscoride. 2. Le second Eden. 3. Exagoge mirabilium naturae e gazophylacio. 4. Synopsis plantarum cum ethymologiis. 5. Le jardin & cabinet poëtique ....

Jacques and Paul Contant were Huguenot apothecaries in Poitiers, and notable collectors. There were among the first in France to assemble a cabinet of curiosities or Wunderkammer. The first work, a commentary on Diosc…

1648

#7557

Musaeum metallicum in libros IIII distributum Bartholomaeus Ambrosinus ... labore, et studio composuit cum indice copiosissimo.

Digital facsimile from the University of Bologna at this link.

1655

#7551

Museum Wormianum, seu, historia rerum rariorum: tam naturalium, quam artificialium, tam domesticarum, quam exoticarum, quae Hafniae Danorum in aedibus authoris servantur.

Edited for publication by Worm's son, Willum Worm. Digital facsimile from the Internet Archive at this link.

1656

#8861

Note overo memorie del museo di Lodovico Moscardo....Nel primo si disorre delle cose antiche, le quali in detto museo si trouano. Nel secondo delle petre, minerali, e terre. Nel terzo de corali, conchiglie, animali, frutti, & altre cose in quello contenute.

Moscardo's museum contained natural history specimens, archeological remains, and ethnographic objects. Around 1642 Moscardo acquired a portion of the collection of Francesco Calceolari and added it to his museum. Dig…

1656

#13071

Musaeum Tradescantianum: Or, a collection of rarities preserved at South-Lambeth neer London by John Tradescant.

Catalogue of the first natural museum in England, the collection made by John Tradescant the Elder and the Younger, and left by John Tradescant the Younger to Elias Ashmole, who, along with Thomas Wharton, helped the …

1663

#13818

Rariora musaei Henrici Fuiren medicinae doctoris quae Academie Regiae Hafniensi legavit.

1664

#13919

Musaeum Septalianum Manfredi Septalae.

"... description of the museum formed by Lodovico Settala, a physician of Milan, and his son, Manfredo, a Canon of the Cathedral. It describes their collections of both artifical and natural curiosities, including pla…

1674

#7575

Gottorffische Kunst-Kammer: worinnen allerhand ungemeine Sachen, so theils die Natur, theils künstliche Hände hervor gebracht und bereitet : vor diesem aus allen vier Theilen der Welt zusammen getragen, und vor einigen Jahren beschrieben, auch mit behörigen Kupffern gezieret.

First published in 1666. Digital facsimile from the Biodiversity Heritage Library, Internet Archive at this link.

1677

#7572

Museo Cospiano: annesso a quello del famoso Vlisse Aldrovandi e donato alla sua patria dall' illustrissimo signor Ferdinando Cospi ..., fra' gli Accademici Gelati il Fedele, e principe al presente de' medesimi.

As the title indicates, the Cospi collection incorporated the earlier museum of Ulisse Aldrovandi, and Legati's catalogue is sometimes regarded as forming a 14th or supplementary volume to Aldrovandi's encyclopedic Op…

1678

#13920

Romani Collegii Societatis Jesu Musaeum celeberrimum.

The first catalogue of Kircher's museum collected by Kircher at the Jesuit College in Rome between 1651 and 1680. Digital facsimile from the Internet Archive at this link.

1681

#297

Musaeum Regalis Societatis, or a catalogue and description of the natural and artificial rarities belonging to the Royal Society and preserved at Gresham College. Whereunto is subjoyned the comparative anatomy of stomachs and guts.

Grew, secretary to the Royal Society, compiled this illustrated catalogue of its museum, then housed at Gresham College. Published with the catalogue is Grew’s study of the stomach organs, which is the first zoologica…

1692

#12982

Le cabinet de la Bibliothèque de Sainte-Geneviève. Divisé en deux parties. Contenant les antiquitez de la religion des Chrétiens, des Egyptiens, & des Romains, des tombeaux, des poids & des medailles; des monnoyes, des pierres antiques gravées, & des minéraux; des talismans, des lampes antiques, des animaux les plus rares et les plus singuliers, des coquilles les plus considérables, des fruits étrangers, & quelques plantes exquises.

Father Du Molinet's "cabinet" incorporated the major part of Fabri de Peiresc's collection. The first part of this work, extensively illustrated with engravings, described antiquities: Christian, Egyptian and Roman; f…

1693

#8574

Museum Spenerianum, sive Catalogus Rerum tam artificiosarum, quam naturalium, tam antiquarum, quam recentium, tam exoticarum, quam domesticarum, quas Johannes Jacobus Spener in Academia Hallensi dum viveret, singulari industria & indefesso labore paravit atque collegit. Das Spenerische Cabinet, Oder Kurtze Beschreibung Aller So wol künstlich- als natürlicher, alter, als neuer, fremder, als einheimischer curiösen Sachen. Compiled by Johann Martin Michaelis.

Digital facsimile from Google Books at this link.

1696

#7580

Museum regium, seu, Catalogus rerum tam naturalium, quam artificialium, quae in basilica bibliothecae augustissimi Daniae Norvegiaeq[ue] monarchae Christiani Quinti, Hafniae asservantur.

Catalogue of the museum of Christian V, King of Denmark by Jacobaeus, physician, traveller, and writer. Digital facsimile from Getty Research Institute, Internet Archive at this link.

1704

#7577

Museum museorum, oder, Vollständige Schau-Bühne aller Materialien und Specereyen : nebst deren natürlichen Beschreibung, Election, Nutzen und Gebrauch, aus andern Material-, Kunst- und Naturalien-Kammern, Oost-und-West-Indischen Reisz-Beschreibungen, Curiosen Zeit- und Tag-Registern, Natur- und Artzney-Kündigern, wie auch selbst-eigenen Erfahrung, zum Vorschub der Studirenden Jugend, Materialisten, Apothecker, und deren visitatoren, wie auch anderer Künstler, als Jubelirer, Mahler, Färber, u.s.w. also verfasset, und mit etlich hundert sauberen Kupfferstücken unter Augen geleget

Of particular value for reprinting many early museum catalogues. The second edition issued in 1714 reissued the first volume together with a second and third volume. Digital facsimile of the 1704 first edition from th…

1706

#13921

Wondertooneel der nature, geopent in eene korte beschryvinge der hoofddeelen van de byzondere zeldsaamheden daar in begrepen; in orde gebragt en bewaart.

Catalogue of the collection of natural history commenced by Anthony Breda and considerably enriched and expanded by his brother-in-law Levinus Vincent, a merchant of luxurious textiles. Digital facsimile from the Biod…

1709

#12991

Musaeum Kircherianum sive musaeum a P. Athanasio Kirchero in Collegio Romano Societatis Jesu iam pridem incoeptum nuper restitutum, auctum descriptum, & iconibus illustratum....a Philippo Bonanni.

Extensively illustrated catalogue by Bonanni of the Musaeum Kircherianum, formed in the mid-17th century by the Jesuit polymath, Athanasius Kircher, and housed in the Jesuit Collegio Romano. Reflective of Kircher's po…

1710

#7576

Museum curiosum auctum Oder Neu-Verbesserte Beschreibung Derer raren und Ausländischen Sachen...Bey Tit. Herrn Christian Nicolai.

Description of the cabinet of Wittenberg apothecary Christian Nicolai by Christian Warlitz, professor of medicine at Wittenberg. Digital facsimile from Google Books at this link.

1716

#8860

Rariora Musei Besleriani quae olim Basilius et Michael Rupertus Besleri collegerunt, aenesique tabulis ad vivum incisa evulgarunt: nunc commentariolo illustrata a Johanne Henrico Lochnero…

The most complete description of the natural history museum of Basilius Besler and his nephew Michael Rupert. It contains the first descriptive commentary of the collection, with 40 engraved plates. The Besler collect…

1717

#11515

Metallotheca opus posthumum, auctoritate, & munificentia Clementis undecimi pontificis maximi e tenebris in lucem eductum; opera autem, & studio Ioannis Mariae Lancisii archiatri pontificii illustratum.

In 1717 papal physician Giovanni Maria Lancisi published the catalogue of the Vatican "armaria" series housing the natural history museum collected by one of his predecessors at the Vatican, the 16th century papal phy…

1718

#8575

Catalogus zahlreicher, nützlicher, und sonderbahrer von Natur- und Kunst gebildeter Seltenheiten, in Regno Animali, Vegetabili, und Minerali, welche ehemals mit grosser Mühe, langer Zeit und schweren Kosten gesammelt, und zusammen gebracht hat.

1726

#7578

Promtuarium rerum naturalium et artificalium Vratislaviense.

Digitall facsimile from the Bayerische StaatsBibliothek at this link.

1726

#12958

Danubius pannonico-mysicus, observationibus geographicis, astronomicis, hydrographicis, historicis, physicis perlustratus et in sex tomos digestus. 6 vols.

An extensive illustrated work, with 283 copperplate engravings, on the natural history of the Danube river, the longest river in central Europe, which runs from southern Germany into Austria, through Slovakia, Hungary…

1731

#13393

The gardeners dictionary: Containing the methods of cultivating and improving the kitchen, fruit and flower garden. As also, the physick garden, wilderness, conservatory and vineyard, according to the practice of the most experienc'd gardeners of the present age. Interspers'd with the history of the plants, the characters of each genus, and the names of all the particular species, in Latin and English, and an explanation of all the terms used in botany and gardening.

Miller was chief gardener and curator (or 'Hortulanus') at the Apothecaries' (later Physic) Garden in Chelsea. Besides covering methods of cultivation, Miller's Dictionary provided a systematic botanical compendium of…

1734 –1765

#7485

Locupletissimi rerum naturalium thesauri accurata descriptio et iconibus artificiosissmis expressio per universam physices historiam. 4 vols.

With 4 folio volumes this is probably the most elaborate catalogue of a private natural history museum, wunderkammer, or cabinet of curiosities ever published. The text is printed in Latin and Dutch. The work includes…

1740

#13098

Catalogus ofte naamlyst der voornaamste zaken, dewelke op de anatomie-kamer der stadt Rotterdam te zien zyn.

Catalogue of the cabinet of curiosities of the anatomical theatre of Rotterdam, founded in 1642. Although anatomy theatres were originally established to teach anatomy and medical and surgical techniques to students a…

1742

#11741

Index testarum conchyliorum quae adservantur in Museo Nicolai Gualtieri ... et methodice distributae exhibentur tabulae CX.

The beautiful catalogue of the shell collection formed by Gualtieri, physician to Cosimo III, Grand Duke of Tuscany in his "museum." Many of the shells are depicted standing on their apices, and are depicted from two …

1743

#13922

Museum Richterianum continens fossilia animalia, vegetabilia marina.

Catalogue of the cabinet of curiosities formed by the merchant and collector Johann Richter. Digital facsimile from Biodiversity Heritage Library at this link.

1746

#7573

Description abregée du fameux cabinet de Mr. Le Chevalier de Baillou pour servir à l'histoire naturelle des pierres précieuses, métaux, minéraux, et autre fossiles.

Digital facsimile from Google Books at this link.

1754 –1764

#9558

Hans Maj:ts Adolf Frideriks vår allernådigste konungs naturalie samling innehållande sällsynte och främmande djur, som bevaras på kongl. lust-slottet Ulriksdahl beskrefne och afrit. Museum Adolfi Friderici ... in quo animalia rariora imprimis, et exotica: Quadrupedia, aves, amphibia, pisces, insecta, vermis. Vol. 2: Museum S:ae R:ae M:tis Adolphi Friderici Regis Svecorum, Gothorum, Vandalorumque &c. &c. &c. in quo Animalia rariora imprimis & exotica: Aves, Amphibia, Piscis describuntur. Tomi secundi Prodromus.

Linnaeus's study of the royal natural history collections was important because to a considerable extent they formed the basis for his knowledge of animals. The collections contain many type specimens for animals desc…

1758

#13102

Mémoire instructif sur la manière de rassembler, de preparer, de conserver, et d’envoyer les diverses curiosités d’histoire naturelle; auquel ... Avis pour le transport par mer, des arbres, des plantes vivaces, des semences, & diverse autres curiosités d'histoire naturelle.

An illustrated guide to taxidermy and the preparation of natural history specimens, probably the first taxidermy manual published in French. The twenty-five folding engravings, the majority by amateur engraver and pas…

1767

#12880

Catalogue systématique et raisonné des curiosités de la nature et de l’art, qui composent le cabinet de M. Davila, avec figures en taille-douce. 3 vols.

Describes 8,096 mineral specimens from a wide range places, including a suite of specimens from Potosí, Bolivia, as well as many items from Canada, Mexico, and Paraguay. The catalog also lists 5,253 shells, 600 preser…

1771

#11615

A catalogue of the animals of North America: Containing, an enumeration of the known quadrupeds, birds, reptiles, fish, insects, crustaceous and testaceous animals ... to which are added short directions for collecting, preserving, and transporting, all kinds of natural history curiosities.

Largely based on specimens he had access to from the British collections of Thomas Pennant and Anna Blackburne, this was Forster's attempt to systemize on the Linnean model the fragmented field of natural history stud…

1771

#13011

Aldrovandus Lotharingiae, ou catalogue des animaux, quardupedes, reptiles, oseaux, poissons, insectes, vermisseaux et coquillages qui habitent la Lorraine et les Trois-Évechés.

A catalogue of "over 1100 quadrupeds, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, insects, worms and mollusks native to Lorraine. Buc’hoz follows the classification schemes of Argenville, Brisson, Buffon, Daubenton and Geoffro…

1778

#7662

Museum Britannicum : being an exhibition of a great variety of antiquities and natural curiosities, belonging to that noble and magnificent cabinet, the British Museum, illustrated with curious prints, engraved after the original designs, from nature, other objects: and with distinct explanations of each figure.

Digital facsimile from the Internet Archive at this link.

1778

#12977

Museum Gronovianum sive index rerum naturalium tam mammalium amphibiorum piscium insectorum conchyliorum zoophytorum plantarum et mineralium exquisitissimorum quam arte factarum nonnullarum.Inter quae eminet herbarius siccus plantarum a Tournefortio Claintonio Lannaeo aliisque botanic collectarum.

Catalogue of Gronovius's museum which was sold at auction starting on October 7, 1778 and on succeeding days. Digital facsimile from docnum.unistra.fr at this link.

1782

#11095

Deliciae Cobresianae. J. P. Cobres Büchersammlung zur Naturgeschichte. 2 vols.

Privately printed catalogue of Cobres’ natural history library, comprising descriptions, with collations and notes, of about 2500 books on botany, zoology, geology, etc. The catalogue is divided into subject sections …

1787

#12976

Museum Geversianum, sive, index rerum naturalium: Continens instructissimam copiam pretiosissimorum omnis generis ex tribus regnis naturae objectorum: Quam dum in vivis erat magna diligentia multaque cura comparavit Abrahamus Gevers.

Posthumously published classified listing of the immense museum of natural history specimens collected by Gevers, member of the town council, may of Rotterdam, and director of the Dutch East-Indian Company (VOC). Digi…

1790

#7657

A companion to the museum, (Late Sir Ashton Lever's) removed to Albion Street, the Surry end of Black Friar's Bridge.

A room by room, case by case guide to Lever's celebrated museum of natural history and ethnography, authorshop of which is unidentified. Digital facsimile from Google Books at this link.

1794

#7659

Instructions for collecting and preserving various subjects of natural history; as animals, birds, reptiles, shells, corals, plants, &c. Together with A treatise on the management of insects in their several states; selected from the best authorities.

Digital text available from ECCO TCP Eighteenth Century Collections Online at this link.

1801

#7683

A concise and descriptive catalogue of all the natural and artificial curiosities in the museum of W. H. Yate, Esq. at Bromesberrow-Place near Glocester: being the extensive and valuable collection of the late Dr. Greene, of Lichfield, with many additions, collected by the present proprietor.

Publication date is estimated. Digital facsimile from the Beinicke Library, Yale University, at this link.