The natural history collection at the Lisbon Military College: tracing the history of a teaching collection

Abstract

In Portugal, natural history museums and collections associated with secondary schools are still relatively unknown, notwithstanding that such institutions hold important collections, almost intact since the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Although vulnerable today, they held a remarkable importance to the teaching practices of life and earth sciences. Using the natural history collection of the Military College of Lisbon as a main source and point of departure, its creation, development, enlargement and use are examined, underlying the crucial role of material culture as primary source. The study of this teaching collection allows a deeper understanding of how biological and geological sciences were taught in Portuguese secondary schools, reflecting the changing approaches of science teaching in Portugal and highlighting the importance of circulation, local exchanges and global networks in the construction of spaces for science teaching.