Britannica Sources used in this answer

How did the British Museum become a public institution in the 18th century?

Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

Gallery room at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC, with framed portraits and group paintings on the walls and a bench in the center of the wood floor. — museum Interior of the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.

The British Museum became a public institution in the 18th century through a government-led initiative to preserve and maintain significant private collections for the benefit of the public.1

The museum was formally established by an act of Parliament in 1753. This legislation followed the death of the physician and naturalist Sir Hans Sloane, who bequeathed his extensive collection of specimens, books, and curiosities to the nation on the condition that Parliament pay his executors £20,000.23

These items, combined with the collections of Sir Robert Cotton and Robert Harley, 1st earl of Oxford, formed the museum's foundation. The government purchased Montagu House in Bloomsbury to house these materials, and the institution officially opened to the public in 1759. Although access was free, admission was initially restricted to those who applied for a limited number of daily tickets.12