Search results

Start typing

Watercolour of Buckingham House's East Library
The Libraries of George III

George III was a keen bibliophile

SIR GEORGE WHELER (1651–1724)

A Journey into Greece

1682

30.2 x 20.0 x 2.7 cm (book measurement (conservation)) | RCIN 1141213

In 1673, the amateur botanist Sir George Wheler travelled to Europe on the Grand Tour. While in Venice, Wheler met the French doctor Jacques Spon (1647–85) and the two men embarked on a tour of Greece and the eastern Mediterranean. Wheler was very conscientious on this journey, collecting many samples of continental plant life and remarking upon the various animals found in Greece and along the Levantine coast.

In 1678, Spon published his account of the tour, with Wheler’s following four years later. Wheler’s account is heavily illustrated with botanical, numismatic, zoological and antiquarian images. Unfortunately, the printed text contained numerous errors and Wheler was forced to personally correct some of his own copies. This copy contains manuscript corrections to the text, possibly in George III’s own hand.


    The income from your ticket contributes directly to The Royal Collection Trust, a registered charity. The aims of The Royal Collection Trust are the care and conservation of the Royal Collection, and the promotion of access and enjoyment through exhibitions, publications, loans and educational activities.