Europe & America

As well as exotic curiosities from the opposite side of the world, Gesner presented a number of Western items that would have been much more familiar to his audiences. In addition to the items shown here, they included: a book on surgery published in 1563, a Bible and book of common prayer published in 1616, a timberhead from the famous British Navy Royal George, shipwrecked in 1782 and a “collection of ancient and other coins.”

The unpublished appendix to Gesner’s catalogue, prepared in 1843, shows additions to the Western portion of the collection, including the items listed here donated in 1843 as well as several books and documents, a banknote from Brazil, some fragments from famous European sites and a musket ball discharged at Waterloo.