Papers of William Clift
TitlePapers of William Clift
ReferenceMS0007
Level of descriptionfonds
Date1780-1849
Admin./ biographical historyWilliam Clift was a Conservator of the Hunterian Museum and a scientific illustrator. He was apprenticed to John Hunter as an Anatomical Assistant, and was employed to produce drawings, copy dictation, and to assist in the care of Hunter’s anatomical specimens. After Hunter’s death in 1793, his collection of specimens was offered for sale to the government. During a period of negotiations, Clift was employed by the surgeon's executors to look after the collections for a small income between 1793 to 1799. During this period, Clift copied out many of Hunter’s unpublished manuscripts. This meant that much of the content of the collection was saved from loss through Sir Everard Home’s destruction of his brother-in-law’s manuscripts in 1823. In 1799 the government asked the Company of Surgeons (soon to become the Royal College of Surgeons of London in 1800) to look after John Hunter's collections. The Trustees of the College made Clift the Conservator of the new Hunterian Museum. The majority of Clift's work focused on developments in comparative anatomy, osteology, and physiology. Under Clift’s supervision, the collections were twice moved without damage into storage in 1806, and then in 1813 to the College's new Museum.
For more information about Clift's life and career, please visit his profile on Oxford Dictionary of National Biography: http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/5668.
For more information about Clift's life and career, please visit his profile on Oxford Dictionary of National Biography: http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/5668.
Scope and Content
The collection is divided into four main groups:
The first group contains papers relating to William Clift’s work as conservator of the Hunterian Museum. This is the largest of the four groups and contains a number of sub divisions such as explanation and display of specimens, expanding the collections, administration of the museum, and correspondence. This group also contains the transcripts made by Clift and others of the Hunterian manuscripts.
The second group contains work carried out by William Clift as an illustrator for publications.
The third group contains a small amount of personal material that is in the collection.
The fourth group contains transcripts and copies of manuscript material by William Clift that is held in other repositories such as the Natural History Museum.
The collection is divided into four main groups:
The first group contains papers relating to William Clift’s work as conservator of the Hunterian Museum. This is the largest of the four groups and contains a number of sub divisions such as explanation and display of specimens, expanding the collections, administration of the museum, and correspondence. This group also contains the transcripts made by Clift and others of the Hunterian manuscripts.
The second group contains work carried out by William Clift as an illustrator for publications.
The third group contains a small amount of personal material that is in the collection.
The fourth group contains transcripts and copies of manuscript material by William Clift that is held in other repositories such as the Natural History Museum.
Extent42 boxes
LanguageEnglish
System of arrangementThe collection is divided into four main groups. The first of these is the largest and contains 7 further sub-divisions. Most of these are then divided further into series of records. Within each series the records are arranged largely chronologically. The other three main groups are not large and are therefore not sub divided further.
Conditions governing accessThis collection is available to everyone for research. It can be consulted in our Research Room at the Royal College of Surgeons of England, 38-43 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London WC2A 3PE. It is essential to book in advance so we can ensure material is available. Please email archives@rcseng.ac.uk to book a Research Room appointment.
Conditions governing reproductionCopies of material in the archives can be supplied for private study purposes only, depending on the condition of the documents. Some items within this collection may remain within copyright under the terms of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988; it is the responsibility of users to obtain the copyright holder's permission for reproduction of copyright material for purposes other than research or private study. Permission to publish material must be sought in advance from the Royal College of Surgeons of England and, where appropriate, the copyright holder. Please email archives@rcseng.ac.uk in the first instance.
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