The Dautzenberg Collection

Philippe Dautzenberg (1849-1935), a Belgian amateur conchologist, studied and collected shelled molluscs. He amassed some 8,000 specialist publications and, more notably, 4.5 million specimens which he collected, bought and exchanged with other enthusiasts. In 1929, he donated his collection to the museum, which now has the third largest shell collection in the world! In the two displays dedicated to his work, you can admire a few of the books, drawings and specimens from this significant collection.