CHAPTER VII

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_RECONSTRUCTORS AND PROJECTORS._

_The Plans and Projects for the Severance and Partial Dispersion of the Collections which at present form ‘The British Museum,’ and for their re-combination and re-arrangement_ 721

INDEX 763

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

PAGE I. VIEW OF THE GARDEN-FRONT OF OLD MONTAGU HOUSE, THE FIRST ‘BRITISH MUSEUM;’ as it appeared at the opening of the Institution to the Public in 1759 _Frontispiece._

II. VIEW OF THE OLD TOWNELEY GALLERY (built for the reception of the Towneleian Marbles in 1805, and pulled down on the erection of the existing _Vignette on Museum) Title-page._

III. GROUND-PLAN OF THE PRINCIPAL FLOOR OF THE ORIGINAL BRITISH MUSEUM OF 1759 325

IV. GROUND-PLAN OF THE SECONDARY FLOOR OF THE SAME 327

V. SUGGESTIONS MADE IN 1847 FOR THE ENLARGEMENT OF THE LIBRARY OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM; being the facsimile of a Plan inserted in a Pamphlet (written in 1846) entitled ‘_Public Libraries _To face p._ in London and Paris_’ 556

VI. REDUCED COPY OF BENJAMIN DELESSERT’S ‘_PROJET D’UNE BIBLIOTHÈQUE CIRCULAIRE_,’ 1835 587

VII. GENERAL BLOCK-PLAN OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM, as it was in 1857 589

VIII. GROUND-PLAN OF THE NEW OR ‘PANIZZI’ READING-ROOM, and of the adjacent Galleries, 1857 590

IX. INTERIOR VIEW OF THE NEW READING-ROOM, 1857 591

X. COLOURED PLAN OF THE GROUND-FLOOR OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM, as it was in 1862. _Copied from the _To face p._ Parliamentary Return, No. 97 of Session 1862_ 750

XI. COLOURED PLAN OF THE GROUND-FLOOR &C., (as above); TOGETHER WITH THE ALTERATIONS PROPOSED TO THE LORDS OF THE TREASURY BY THE TRUSTEES OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM; in their Minutes of December, 1861, and January 21st, 1862, and in their Letter to the Treasury of 11th February, _To face p._ 1862. _Copied from the same Return_ 752

XII. COLOURED PLAN OF THE UPPER FLOOR OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM, as it was in 1862. _Copied from the _To face p._ same Return_ 754

XIII. COLOURED PLAN OF THE UPPER FLOOR, &C. (as above); TOGETHER WITH THE ALTERATIONS PROPOSED TO THE TREASURY BY THE TRUSTEES; in their Minutes of December, 1861, and January, 1862, and in their Letter of 11th February, 1862. _Copied from the _To face p._ same Return_ 756

BOOK THE FIRST. _EARLY COLLECTORS:—THE GATHERERS OF THE FOUNDATION COLLECTIONS._

_CONTENTS OF BOOK I._

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