Even when the natural history collections were displayed at the British Museum in Bloomsbury, before they were moved to the bespoke Alfred Waterhouse building at South Kensington in 1881, visitors recognized these two requirements from the exhibits:
“As they walked through the rooms given to this portion of Natural History, they observed with pleasure the admirable arrangement of specimens in glass cases, so amply labeled with the names of the principle substances combined to produce the varieties in each section, that much information may be derived from this source alone. ..therefore it was not surprising that...although they had read a few books on the subject, should presently find out much that is new to them, and they were soon ready to ask for further information” 1
< last  / next > 1 p3 More pleasant mornings at the British Museum; Natural History Department