The Natural History Museum (London) owes its origins to Sir Hans Sloane (1660-1753), a cultured English doctor and an avid collector. At his death he bequeathed his collections to the nation. These formed the nucleus of what would eventually become the Natural History Museum (London), the British Museum and the British Library (Anderson 1997; see also online at httpll: www.nhm.ac.uk).peer-reviewe
