RAS Beijing Zoom – Frances Wood on the Chinese book collection of Sir Hans Sloane, 5/8/26

Posted: August 1st, 2026 | No Comments »

Join prominent British Sinologist Frances Wood online as she discusses the Chinese book collection of Sir Hans Sloane. He was an extraordinary collector with an insatiable intellectual curiosity; his collections of items from nations spanning the globe were the fulcrum of not only the British Museum but also the Museum of Natural History and the British Library. Don’t miss her talk!

WHAT: British Sinologist Frances Wood discusses online the comprehensive collection of Chinese books assembled by prominent physician Dr. Hans Sloane (1660-1753)

WHEN: 7-8 PM Beijing Time, Wednesday Aug 5, 2026

ABOUT THE EVENT: Sir Hans Sloane’s collection of Chinese books in London is remarkably comprehensive, spanning the full range of Chinese literature and culture. When he died in 1753, his total collections included 50,000 books, prints and manuscripts and tens of thousands of other items and curiosities. These were bequeathed in his will to King George II and were among the founding collections of not only the British Museum but also the Museum of Natural History and the British Library. But how did a retired doctor in London acquire a Chinese collection of such broad scope when no one around him knew Chinese?

ABOUT THE SPEAKER: Frances Wood worked in the Chinese section of the British Library for over 30 years, mainly focused on the conservation and cataloguing of thousands of Dunhuang manuscripts. The discovery of Sloane’s Chinese books, buried amongst tens of thousands of later acquisitions, was a late but fascinating project. The author of many books, she is now working on the diary of literary and intellectual figure Chen Xiying during his wartime stay in London.

HOW MUCH: Free for members of RASBJ. 50 RMB for members of RAS partner branches (London, Shanghai, Hong Kong). 100 RMB for non-members. Alipay may be an easier payment method than WeChat. You can also pay by credit card. Interested in becoming an RASBJ member? Please sign up at rasbj.glueup.cn/org/rasbeijing/memberships/

OW TO JOIN THE EVENT: Please click “Register” or “I will attend” on this notice and follow the instructions. After successful registration you’ll receive a confirmation email with a link to join the online event. If you seem not to have received it, please check your spam folder.

Members of partner RAS Branches: Please register 72 hours before the event to allow time for membership verification. Please check your spam folder to ensure you see all RASBJ emails.

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