Taylor Bird's Nest
The two drawings that comprise this plate are roughly correlated in a more straightforward manner than the vast majority of Rymsdyk’s groupings. Both the Taylor-bird’s nest and the wasp’s nest fall under the general category of natural “wonders” (rather than man-made), and they are both structures built by the creatures for purposes of habitation and reproduction.
Interior View of the Old Ashmolean
The engraving depicts the lower room of the “Old Ashmolean” building at the University of Oxford. Various natural specimens, including a giraffe and a dodo, are evident, as well as two groups of large bones in the foreground. A small table is placed prominently in the center of the image between two parallel rows of ionic columns.
The Ashmolean Museum
The engraving depicts the exterior of the “Old Ashmolean” building at the University of Oxford. We see it at a slight distance, with a good view of the street on which it is stationed. Three figures can be seen in the foreground. One is a scholar, dressed in cap and gown. The other two, a man and a woman, are dressed as gentility. The scholar points towards the entrance of the building.
"The Narrative of the Collection:" Visualizing the Ashmolean and the British Museum through Romantic Era Guidebooks
Through images culled from two Romantic-era guidebooks, this gallery examines two early public museums in England: the Ashmolean Museum at the University of Oxford and the British Museum in London.