The elevation of Henry Willett: A Victorian collector of collections and an 'imaginary museum'.

This article examines Henry Willett (1823–1905), a wealthy Brighton brewer and founder of Brighton Museum, focusing on his role as a "collector of collections" across diverse fields including archaeology, fine art, fossils, ethnography, and pottery. Willett’s extensive and eclectic assemblage reflected both Victorian collecting trends and his ambition to elevate his social and cultural status by engaging with intellectual and artistic circles in Brighton and London. His collections, which combined personal passion with scholarly rigor, were organized thematically and often donated to public institutions, contributing significantly to the development of local museums. The article also explores Willett’s concept of an "imaginary museum," a private compendium aiming to encompass the totality of human knowledge, paralleling contemporary debates about museum integration and reflecting his evangelical and educational ideals.