An insight into commercial natural history: Richard Glennon, William Hinchy and the nineteenth-century trade in giant Irish deer remains

Abstract

Despite the gentlemanly status of natural history research and collecting during the nineteenth century, there was a wide commercial network that was necessary to supply the booming demand for specimens from scientists, hobbyists and public institutions. This article is a case study of two dealers in giant Irish deer remains, Richard Glennon and William Hinchy. I argue that examining how they transacted their business can give us insight into the workings of commercial natural history. The dealer-buyer relationship resembled one of patronage despite the fact that they were engaging in a commercial transaction.