Accession No
6647
Brief Description
fossil collection, displayed in a book-shaped box, by Václav Frič, Austro-Hungarian, 1870 (c)
Origin
Austria-Hungary [now Czech Republic]; Prague
Maker
Frič, Václav
Class
natural history
Earliest Date
1861
Latest Date
1870
Inscription Date
1861
Material
paper (card, paper); organic material (fossils)
Dimensions
230mm (height) x 165mm (width)x 25mm (depth)
Special Collection
Provenance
Purchased from Dorotheum, A-1010 Wien, Dorotheergasse 17, Austria on 23/10/2017.
Inscription
VZORY
VESTEV
ZEMSKYCH.
OD
VACLAVA
FRICE.
Description Notes
Fossil collection, displayed in a book-shaped box, by Vaclav Fric, c. 1870.
Collection of 42 small fossils in a box that is designed to look similar to a book. Each fossil measures less than 20mm x 20mm and is pasted into place within a labelled square. Fossils are arranged in rows of 6 and are arranged under headings of classification in Czech. On the inside cover, there is a table presumably containing information regarding the identification of different specimens. The leftmost column contains illustrations of different fossilised organisms. On the outside, the "spine" of the box is inscribed with the name of the creator, Czech naturalist Vaclav Fric.
In good condition, with some evidence of repairs to specimens. The hinge flap is a little weak.
References
Events
Description
Václav Frič was a prolific dealer of natural history specimens during the late nineteenth century, to the extent that his shop in Prague became known as ‘Frič’s Museum of Natural History’. This collection of 42 fossils, assembled by Frič in the mid-19th Century, is housed in a box shaped to look like a book and demonstrates their classifications alongside each specimen. At the time, collecting natural history objects was commonplace among the wealthier classes who were increasingly fascinated by the diversity of nature.
07/02/2018
Created by: Rosanna Evans on 07/02/2018
FM:47260
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