Portrait of Elias_Ashmole
Elias Ashmole(1617-1692)
Elias Ashmole was an English politician and antiquarian. Ashmole supported the royalist side during the English Civil War, and at the restoration of Charles II he was rewarded with several lucrative offices.
Ashmole's library reflected his intellectual outlook, including works on English history, law, numismatics, chorography, alchemy, astrology, astronomy, and botany. Although he was one of the founding Fellows of the Royal Society, his interests were antiquarian and mystical as well as scientific.
Throughout his life he was an avid collector of curiosities and other artefacts. Many of these he acquired from the collector John Tradescant the Younger. Ashmole donated most of his collection, his antiquarian library and priceless manuscripts to the University of Oxford to create the Ashmolean Museum.
Ashmole's library reflected his intellectual outlook, including works on English history, law, numismatics, chorography, alchemy, astrology, astronomy, and botany. Although he was one of the founding Fellows of the Royal Society, his interests were antiquarian and mystical as well as scientific.
Throughout his life he was an avid collector of curiosities and other artefacts. Many of these he acquired from the collector John Tradescant the Younger. Ashmole donated most of his collection, his antiquarian library and priceless manuscripts to the University of Oxford to create the Ashmolean Museum.
Elias Ashmole adapted from Wikipedia and licensed by The Cultural Me under CC BY SA 3.0