Hunterian Museum and Art Gallery

Coral (Solenosmilia variablis)

Synonyms: Solenosmilia jeffreyi

The Hunterian Museum and Art Gallery cares for 190 zoological and geological specimens from the HMS Challenger (1872-76) voyage. 

About the Hunterian Museum and Art Gallery

Founded in 1807, The Hunterian is Scotland’s oldest public museum and home to one of the largest collections outside the National Museums. The Hunterian is one of the leading university museums in the world and its collections have been recognised as a Collection of National Significance. It is one of Scotland’s most important cultural assets.‌  

Wider collections

The Hunterian is home to one of the finest university collections in the world. Built on Dr William Hunter’s founding bequest, the collections today include scientific instruments used by James Watt, Joseph Lister and Lord Kelvin; outstanding Roman artefacts from the Antonine Wall; major natural and life sciences holdings; Hunter’s own extensive anatomical teaching collection; one of the world’s greatest numismatic collections; impressive ethnographic objects from Captain Cook’s Pacific voyages and a major art collection.
The HMS Challenger specimens are held in the zoology collections. The Zoology Collections represent most of the major groups of animals but with particular strength in the insects. Of the 600,000 specimens, 90% are insects. The historical core of the collection is William Hunter’s natural history material of which shells, insects and corals survive today.

Using the Hunterian Museum and Art Gallery’s data

Permission has been given to use specimen information and photographs in accordance with the National Archives Open Government Licence.

Contact

Please email the Hunterian Museum to enquire about their collections.

A selection of the Hunterian Museum and Art Gallery’s Challenger specimens