“A Plague to the Learned World”: Pieter Gabry, F.R.S. (1715–1770) and His Use of Natural Philosophy to Gain Prestige and Social Status

Abstract

On Monday 11 March 1771 a remarkable auction of scientifi c instruments began in the Dutch city of The Hague. A large and “nicely crafted cabinet” of “Physical, Mechanical, Hydraulical, Optical, and Mathematical Instruments and other Rarities” came under the hammer. According to the advertisement, these objects “had been collected with great effort and cost” by the late Mr Pieter Gabry, who in his lifetime had been a lawyer and a member of several learned societies in Europe. A few months earlier, in two other auctions, Gabry’s library of scientifi c books and his collection of musical instruments had been sold. The advertisements published prior to these events stated that Gabry had been an ardent collector of expensive books in the fi elds of Philosophy, Physics, Mathematics, Medicine, Botany and Natural History. Especially remarkable was the large number of astronomical books, including some “very old and rare” editions. Gabry’s “large and expensive collection of musical manuscripts, printed works and musical instruments” was also generously praised.