The Keeper of Botany was a position at the

Natural History Museum A natural history museum or museum of natural history is a scientific institution with natural history collections that include current and historical records of animals, plants, fungi, ecosystems, geology, paleontology, climatology, and more. ...

— formerly

British Museum (Natural History) The Natural History Museum in London is a museum that exhibits a vast range of specimens from various segments of natural history. It is one of three major museums on Exhibition Road in South Kensington, the others being the Science Museum an ...

— in

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

, and served as head of department for

botany Botany, also called , plant biology or phytology, is the science of plant life and a branch of biology. A botanist, plant scientist or phytologist is a scientist who specialises in this field. The term "botany" comes from the Ancient Greek w ...

. The position was in place between 1827 and 2013.

Keepers of Botany

The following is a list of those who have held this position. Dates are those in office. * Robert Brown 1827–1858 *

John Joseph Bennett John Joseph Bennett (8 January 1801 – 29 February 1876) was a British botanist. Bennett was assistant keeper of the Banksian herbarium and library at the British Museum from 1827 to 1858, when he succeeded Robert Brown as Keeper of the Botan ...

1859–1870 * William Carruthers 1871–1895 *

George Robert Milne Murray George Robert Milne Murray (11 November 1858 – 16 December 1911) was a Scottish naturalist, botanist, diatomist and algologist, noted for his association with T. H. Huxley and with the Discovery Expedition. He was the naturalist aboard the ...

1895–1905 * Alfred Barton Rendle 1906–1930 * John Ramsbottom 1930–1950 * George Taylor 1950–1956 *

James Edgar Dandy James Edgar Dandy (24 September 1903, in Preston, Lancashire – 10 November 1976, in Tring) was a British botanist, Keeper of Botany at the British Museum (Natural History) between 1956 and 1966. He was a world specialist on the plant genus ''Pota ...

1956–1966 * Robert Ross 1966–1977 *

John Francis Michael Cannon John Francis Michael Cannon (22 April 1930 – 31 March 2008) was a British botanist who held the role of Keeper of Botany at the Natural History Museum between 1978 and 1990. Cannon joined the Department of Botany at the British Museum (Natural H ...

1977–1990 * Stephen Blackmore 1990–1999 * Richard Bateman 2000–2004 * Johannes C. Vogel 2004–2012 *

Philip Stephen Rainbow Philip, also Phillip, is a male given name, derived from the Greek (''Philippos'', lit. "horse-loving" or "fond of horses"), from a compound of (''philos'', "dear", "loved", "loving") and (''hippos'', "horse"). Prominent Philips who popularize ...

(Acting) 2012–2013

References

{{reflist Natural History Museum, London *Keeper of Botany, Natural History Museum *Keeper of Botany, Natural History Museum Lists of English people