Exhibition: A cabinet of rarities': the curious collections of Sir Thomas Browne

A collector of rarities, debunker of myths, inspiration to writers and doctors alike, conjuror of words, owner of a live ostrich and expert witness at a witch trial, Sir Thomas Browne is one of the greatest British geniuses that the majority of people have never heard of.

The man who invented more words than Shakespeare is the topic of this new exhibition.

On display is a collection of manuscript letters and notes, animal and plant specimens, books, paintings and artifacts, all of which combine to show off one of the most extraordinary and voracious minds of the 17th century.

From the Royal Society of Medicine comes a cast of Browne’s own skull, made in the years after 1840 when his coffin was broken open and his head and hair sold on to a later fellow collector. The Royal College of Physicians’ library provides a rare pirated copy of Sir Thomas’ masterpiece ‘Religio Medici’. Dated 1642, this version was printed illicitly but proved an international literary sensation prompting official publication of the hugely influential work the following year.

Graphically illustrating this passion for nature are a Tegu lizard skin and a dolphin’s skull and mandible, all from the Grant Museum of Zoology, UCL.

Together they leave a lasting impression of the remarkable sights that awaited a visitor to Browne’s Norwich abode, of which the great diarist and intellectual John Evelyn said ‘his whole house and garden is a paradise’, home to ‘the best collection’.

The exhibition lets you discover one of the 17th century’s most remarkable and elusive personalities: Sir Thomas Browne, Britain’s largely undiscovered man of unbounded curiosity.