Manchester Museum makes stunning addition to natural history collections

18 Jun 2025

Manchester Museum and The John Rylands Library have worked together to acquire Henry Dresser’s unique, personal copy of his anthology A History of the Birds of Europe, ensuring this invaluable resource remains in the UK for future generations.

The beautifully-illustrated books provide an important historical record to help us understand how and why bird populations have changed over time. This acquisition, a collaboration between two venues that are part of The University of Manchester, reunites them with Dresser’s own bird specimens, already cared for by Manchester Museum.

This includes species such as the Slender-billed curlew, now believed to be extinct. A recent paper published by the Natural History Museum, Naturalis, the RSPB and BirdLife International confirms, through extensive surveys, verified historical sightings and museum specimen evidence, that the species has likely disappeared. The first known global bird extinction from mainland Europe, North Africa and West Asia.

Its presence in both Dresser’s beautifully annotated volumes and the ornithological collections of Manchester Museum highlights the vital role historical records play in tracking biodiversity loss over time and understanding the long-term impact of environmental change.

Dresser, a leading 19th-century ornithologist, played a crucial role in documenting and illustrating bird species from across Europe and beyond. His personal copy of A History of the Birds of Europe is richly annotated with personal notes and observations. These books are deemed to be of outstanding significance not only for scientific purposes but also for their aesthetic value, having been illustrated by some of the leading wildlife artists of the day.

The Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art and Objects of Cultural Interest, which is supported by the Arts Council, recognised the volumes as a national treasure and recommended to the Secretary of State for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), that a temporary export deferral should be placed on the object to allow time for UK buyers to express interest and raise the funds to buy them and keep them in the country.

The subsequent acquisition was led by Manchester Museum in partnership with The John Rylands Library, bringing together the Museum’s expertise in natural science with the Library’s world-class rare book holdings, alongside a shared commitment to research and public engagement.

Esme Ward, Director of Manchester Museum, said: “Threats to the natural world and biodiversity have never been greater and while this anthology has historical value, it also speaks to the urgent issues of the present. These books are breathtakingly beautiful and, by bringing them together with natural history collections, we believe they will not only provide scientific benefit but also capture the hearts of future ornithologists and conservationists.”

Christopher Pressler, University Librarian and Director of The John Rylands Library, said: “Henry Eeles Dresser (1838-1915) was one of the most significant and influential ornithologists of the late 19th and early 20th centuries – a producer of beautiful books which combined new scientific information with masterpieces of bird illustration, and a leading figure in scientific society. A History of the Birds of Europe is widely regarded as his most important work.”

The acquisition was made possible through the generous support of Art Fund, the Arts Council England/V&A Purchase Grant Fund, Friends of the Nations’ Libraries and The University of Manchester. The collection will be officially unveiled at a private view on Friday 27 June 2025 before being displayed to the public for the first time in Manchester Museum’s Living Worlds gallery from Saturday 28 June 2025 until Sunday 25 January 2026. Following this, the books will be made accessible to researchers, students and the wider public at The John Rylands Library.

Leanne Manfredi, National Programmes Lead at the Victoria and Albert Museum, said: "The Arts Council England/V&A Purchase Grant Fund supports the purchase of a wide range of material for the permanent collections of non-nationally funded organisations in England and Wales. We are delighted that A History of the Birds of Europe has been acquired by The University of Manchester on behalf of two of its Cultural Institutions - Manchester Museum and The John Rylands Library. It will benefit researchers and audiences for years to come."