The 1890s: the continuing rise of the British Museum (Natural History)

Abstract

This chapter explores Dresser’s activities in the 1890s. His relationship with Walter Rothschild, a particularly wealthy private collector, is discussed. Dresser continued to hold a leading position in scientific society and became involved in the early Society for the Protection of Birds. He had some involvement with the British Ornithologists’ Club, established by Richard Sharpe of the British Museum (Natural History). There were ongoing disputes on how birds should be given scientific names; Dresser was notable as a firm advocate of the ‘old school’, which was losing ground to new innovations supported by American ornithologists. There was a dispute over the ownership of bird specimens with Richard Sharpe, which would be the first of several such accusations. Dresser parted with his bird collection to Manchester Museum. The days of independent gentlemen naturalists were not over, but the rift between individuals and organised institutions, societies and professionals was growing ever wider.