The same curiosity and enlightenment attitudes that inspired overseas exploration lead to the development of the modern museum. Collecting and displaying curiosities became popular in the 16th and 17th century, and in the 18th century with a fascination with classification and measurement, began to be institutionalized. There was also a growing recognition of the impact of city planning on a population. Thomas Greenwood stated, a Museum and Free Library are necessary for the mental and moral health of the citizens as good sanitary arrangements, water supply and street lighting are for their physical health and comfort (Bennett, 18), reflecting a new attitude encouraging government responsibility of it's population's physical and mental health, and civil behaviour. It was in this social climate that many of the first museums were established in Britain.
The British Museum in London was established in 1753 by an Act of Parliament passed by the House of Commons, and was opened to the public in 1759 [de Beer, 152]. It was opened as a human and cultural sciences and natural history museum, housing artifacts, artwork and documents from various time periods and countries. The founding collections of the British Museum were the Sloane Museum of Sir Hans Sloane (1660-1753), the Cottonian Library of Sir Robert Cotton (1570-1631), and the Harleian Library of Robert Harley, Earl of Oxford (1611-1724).
Sir Hans Sloane's collections, accumulated throughout the 17th and 18th centuries, were the most extensive and varied of their time. Sloane's home, the Sloane Museum, in central London where his collections were housed became an internationally known landmark well before his death in 1753. Consequently, Sloane made his intentions for his collection clear before he died. In his 1739 will, Sloane expressed his wish for his collections to be preserved together, preferably within London where he had lived and worked, and for them to be displayed for their value to in arts and sciences and be of most use to the public [de Beer, 138].
Sloane's revised will of 1751, effectively offered the Sloane Museum to the King and the British government and left the maintenance of his collection to a selection of Trustee of the House of Commons [de Beer, 138]. The Cottonian Library had been in the care of the British Government since 1700 and the Government looked to purchase the Harleian Library in 1753 to complement Cotton and Sloane's collections. These three collections were combined and displayed as the newly established British Museum.
When the Prince of Wales visited the Sloane Museum in 1748, he,
Expressed the great pleasure it gave him to see so magnificent a collection in England, esteeming it is an ornament to the nation; and expressed his sentiments how much it must conduce to the benefit of learning, and how great an honour will redound to Britain, to have it established for publick use. (de Beer, 138)
His sentiments demonstrate the ideals on which the British Museum was founded and the international regard in which it is still currently held.