From Page to Pedestal: Literature in the Age of Collecting: In the Age of Collecting

Cabinets of Curiosities or “Wunderkammern,” originated in Renaissance Europe as private collections of eclectic objects reflecting owners' curiosity about the natural world. Spurred by colonial exploration and enlightenment curiosity, the practice gained popularity in late 17th and 18th century Britain. During this period there was a proliferation of “wonder rooms” that showcased eclectic arrays of natural specimens, artwork, and artifacts from around the world. These collections served not only as repositories of knowledge but also an increasingly public symbol of wealth and status. Cabinets of Curiosities would lay the foundation for modern museums, shaping attitudes towards education and public access to cultural heritage.

Notable Cabinets of Curiosities include the extensive collection of natural history specimens and ethnographic artifacts belonging to physician and naturalist, Sir Hans Sloane. His collections formed the foundation of the British Museum upon its establishment in 1753. Collections of Elias Ashmole, antiquary and politician, formed the basis of the Ashmolean Museum. Founded in 1683 in Oxford, England, the Ashmolean is considered to be Britain’s oldest public museum. Scottish Surgeon, John Hunter’s extensive collection of anatomical specimens later formed the basis of the Hunterian Museum, established 1807 in Glasgow, Scotland. These museums remain in operation.

The late 17th and 18th centuries Britain witnessed a flourishing of intellectual movements that influenced the culture of collecting. The rise of Empiricism, championed by philosophers like John Locke, emphasized knowledge derived from sensory experience and observation of the natural world. This philosophical shift fueled fascination with studying nature's wonders and acquiring specimens for investigation. Concurrently, the Rationalist movement, exemplified by René Descartes and Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, promoted logical reasoning and systematic inquiry. These intellectual currents laid the foundations for the Enlightenment era, which further encouraged the pursuit of knowledge and understanding through empirical observation and rational analysis.

Cabinets of Curiosities emerged as tangible expressions of these intellectual trends alongside literary innovation. The period saw a rise in scientific and philosophical writings, travel literature and narratives of exploration, as well as other genres that captured the imaginations of readers across social strata.