Burne, Richard Higgins, 1868-1953
TitleBurne, Richard Higgins, 1868-1953
ReferenceMS0446
Level of descriptionfonds
Date[1890-1932]
Admin./ biographical historyRichard Higgins Burne was a Curator, Comparative Anatomist and Biologist. Burne was appointed as an Assistant at the Hunterian Museum in 1892. He became Assistant Conservator in 1908 and Physiological Curator in 1912. He resigned his post in May 1934, but continued to work on the preparation of museum catalogues. He was elected as an Hunterian Trustee in 1937. Burne was made a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1927. His title at this time was given by the Royal Society as Curator of the Department of Comparative Anatomy at the Museum of the Royal College of Surgeons of England.
For more information on Burne's life and career, please see his obituary on the Royal Society's website: https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/epdf/10.1098/rsbm.1954.0003
For more information on Burne's life and career, please see his obituary on the Royal Society's website: https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/epdf/10.1098/rsbm.1954.0003
Scope and ContentThis collection consists of bound notebooks showing Burne's drawings of dissections and descriptions of his findings, used in the preparation of museum catalogues. Most notebooks are undated, but entries dated in 1890 and 1891 indicate that the work containing the books commenced before Burne’s official employment at the Hunterian museum.
1. 'Mammalia': Includes entries for specimens from the hedgehog, otter, rabbit, bat, dog, sloth and armadillo as well as other mammals.
2. 'Notebook 2': Contains entries for specimens from various animals, including the ground shark, mudskipper, sea cucumber, chameleon and dog-fish.
3. 'Notebook 3': Contains entries for specimens from various animals, including the heron, rat, possum and platypus.
4. 'Notebook 4': Contains entries for specimens from various animals, including the turtle, kangaroo, crocodile, sheep and ostrich.
5. 'Notebook 5': Contains entries for specimens from various animals, including the rhinoceros, sheep, giraffe and rhesus monkey.
6. 'Notebook 6': Contains entries for specimens from various animals, including the horse, kangaroo rat, puff adder, rabbit, lobster and cow.
7. 'Notebook 7': Contains entries for specimens from various animals, including the python, haddock, parrot and lug worm. Some drawings have been cut out of this volume.
8. 'Notebook 8': Contains entries for specimens from various animals, including the guinea-pig, wolf, swan and chiromys.
9. 'Notebook 9': 1932. Contains entries for specimens from various animals, including the walrus, chimpanzee, sheep and elephant. Includes two black and white photographic prints showing the pregnant uteris of a tree pangolin.
10. 'Lymphatic Researches - fishes': Includes entries for specimens from fishes including the cod and monkfish but also from non-fish including the anaconda, gorilla and rat. Has an incomplete alphabetical index.
11. 'Zooalogical Drawings': album of detailed drawings showing specimens from animals including the burgundy snail, pink fairy armadillo and South American lungfish.
12. 1890. 'Zooalogical Notes': Contains entries with coloured diagrams for specimens from various animals, including the frog, salamander and different fishes including cod, pike and carp. A note in the front of this book reads ‘RH Burne (late N.S.S.) R.C.S. South Kensington Feb. 24 1890.’
13. 1891. 'Zooalogical Notes': Contains entries with some coloured diagrams for specimens from various animals. This notebook is focussed on worms and small marine animals, including endoprocta, rhabdopleura, trichina and malacostraca.
14. 'Zooalogical Notes': Contains entries with coloured diagrams for specimens from various animals, including the dog, rabbit, crayfish and mussel.
15. 'Zooalogical Notes': Contains entries with coloured diagrams for specimens from various animals, including the snail, octopus, bandicoots, hippopotamus and amphioxus [branchiostoma lanceolatum].
Also includes:
16. A notebook containing an index to the other 15 volumes, which lists specimens alphabetically by the Latin name of the animal.
1. 'Mammalia': Includes entries for specimens from the hedgehog, otter, rabbit, bat, dog, sloth and armadillo as well as other mammals.
2. 'Notebook 2': Contains entries for specimens from various animals, including the ground shark, mudskipper, sea cucumber, chameleon and dog-fish.
3. 'Notebook 3': Contains entries for specimens from various animals, including the heron, rat, possum and platypus.
4. 'Notebook 4': Contains entries for specimens from various animals, including the turtle, kangaroo, crocodile, sheep and ostrich.
5. 'Notebook 5': Contains entries for specimens from various animals, including the rhinoceros, sheep, giraffe and rhesus monkey.
6. 'Notebook 6': Contains entries for specimens from various animals, including the horse, kangaroo rat, puff adder, rabbit, lobster and cow.
7. 'Notebook 7': Contains entries for specimens from various animals, including the python, haddock, parrot and lug worm. Some drawings have been cut out of this volume.
8. 'Notebook 8': Contains entries for specimens from various animals, including the guinea-pig, wolf, swan and chiromys.
9. 'Notebook 9': 1932. Contains entries for specimens from various animals, including the walrus, chimpanzee, sheep and elephant. Includes two black and white photographic prints showing the pregnant uteris of a tree pangolin.
10. 'Lymphatic Researches - fishes': Includes entries for specimens from fishes including the cod and monkfish but also from non-fish including the anaconda, gorilla and rat. Has an incomplete alphabetical index.
11. 'Zooalogical Drawings': album of detailed drawings showing specimens from animals including the burgundy snail, pink fairy armadillo and South American lungfish.
12. 1890. 'Zooalogical Notes': Contains entries with coloured diagrams for specimens from various animals, including the frog, salamander and different fishes including cod, pike and carp. A note in the front of this book reads ‘RH Burne (late N.S.S.) R.C.S. South Kensington Feb. 24 1890.’
13. 1891. 'Zooalogical Notes': Contains entries with some coloured diagrams for specimens from various animals. This notebook is focussed on worms and small marine animals, including endoprocta, rhabdopleura, trichina and malacostraca.
14. 'Zooalogical Notes': Contains entries with coloured diagrams for specimens from various animals, including the dog, rabbit, crayfish and mussel.
15. 'Zooalogical Notes': Contains entries with coloured diagrams for specimens from various animals, including the snail, octopus, bandicoots, hippopotamus and amphioxus [branchiostoma lanceolatum].
Also includes:
16. A notebook containing an index to the other 15 volumes, which lists specimens alphabetically by the Latin name of the animal.
Extent16 Notebooks
LanguageEnglish
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, in print or online, 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.
Related objectsMS0018/1/2/30
Letters from Burne to Sir Arthur Keith.
RCS-MUS/7/11
Includes museum catalogues to which Burne contributed.
Letters from Burne to Sir Arthur Keith.
RCS-MUS/7/11
Includes museum catalogues to which Burne contributed.
NotesA detailed list is available for notebooks 1-15.
Persons keyword Richard Higgins Burne, 1868-1953, curator
