Anne Lister's Cabinet of Curiosities
Anne Lister had a lifelong interest in all things science
During the 19th century, fields like natural history and geology became increasingly accessible to the broader public, with private collections and museums flourishing as symbols of knowledge, curiosity, and cultural refinement. Although formal scientific communities and institutions often excluded women, many found alternative ways to engage with the natural world through informal education, social circles, and personal passion.
Mary Anning, for instance, achieved fame for her groundbreaking fossil discoveries along the cliffs of Lyme Regis, despite lacking formal scientific training. Despite her lack of formal training, her contributions to paleontology were recognized by prominent male scientists. Similarly, Lady Mary Wortley Montagu, though more known for her literary and political work, collected specimens during her travels and maintained correspondence with scientists, demonstrating how women could contribute to intellectual and scientific communities through their social networks.
Anne Lister, similarly, cultivated a deep interest in the natural sciences, as detailed in her journals. She often attended lectures both in Halifax and during her travels, particularly in Paris. Her fascination with subjects like natural history, geology, and anatomy led her to engage with prominent scientific figures of the time, such as Georges Cuvier. Lister’s involvement in these pursuits not only highlights her curiosity but also offers a window into the scientific and cultural attitudes of her era.
"In the museum are some good mineral specimens — a cabinet that belonged to Christina queen of Sweden — a frog-fish (the body of a frog and the tail of a fish) from Demarara, given by Charles Waterton Esquire of Walton - a large skin of a boa constrictor, and one of the ‘Cayman’, more terrible than crocodile or alligator, from the Orinoco river "
The cabinet of curiosities, or Wunderkammer, emerged during the Renaissance as a way to collect and display objects that captured the marvels of the natural world, science, and human creativity. These collections often combined artifacts, natural specimens, scientific instruments, and art, arranged to inspire wonder and intellectual exploration.
In addition to presenting a microcosm of knowledge and reflecting the scientific and cultural priorities of the time, these cabinets also functioned as social tools. They enabled curators to showcase their interests and refined taste, reinforcing or elevating their socioeconomic status.
Anne Lister’s engagement with science, coupled with her keen observational skills and curiosity about the natural world, reflects the same spirit embodied in these historical cabinets. Her journals serve as a literary “cabinet of curiosities,” documenting not only the physical items she collected but also her reflections on scientific discoveries and ideas.
"The Italian cabinet? made at Augsburg – very curious" - Anne Lister, August 26, 1839. Pictured above, the Augsburg Cabinet, a collection of antiquities and other items owned by Queen Christina of Sweden. (Photo: Theresa Kutasz Christensen)
A record of Anne Lister's specimens and scientific fascinations
Much like cabinets of curiosities, this curated list of items from Anne Lister's collection reflects her personal fascination with the natural world and scientific exploration.
The spreadsheet below serves as a collaborative effort to highlight references to specimens Lister collected or observed, as well as her notes on significant scientific events and discoveries recorded in her journals. By compiling these references, we aim to enrich our understanding of the scope of Lister's scientific curiosities.
More details from Anne's journals
Though we are compiling a list of scientific references, there are other details connected to Anne's interests in natural history, sciences, and technology in other collaborative projects hosted on this website. Here are a few places in which you can find more information:
Contributors
This project is made possible through ongoing contributions from the following people:
Amanda Pryce
Jenna Beyer
Jessica Lowther-Payne
Lívia Labate
Marlene Oliveira
Marta Dochao
Pauline M.
Shantel Smith
Steph Gallaway
How to contribute to this project
Request access to edit the spreadsheet. Please include an email address that is associated with a Google account (this is the only requirement to participating in this project). If you don't have one, here's how to do it.
You will receive an email confirming you have editorial access.
Once granted access, you can add a new item to the bottom of the list.
Tip: Don't worry about redundancy; enter any information you have and we'll reconcile duplicates later.
All information in this spreadsheet is in English, but please preserve the spellings of Ann's nickname, as written by Anne Lister and others.
Anyone can help research and add additional information for each references in this spreadsheet.
If you want to help research information about these references, please follow the steps above and note you would like to contribute.