A cream astrolabe with dark-grey metal work.

Sloane Circle

How to join

Email: patrons@britishmuseum.org
Phone: +44 (0)20 7323 8421
Or get in touch using our form

Become a Sloane Circle Patron.

Our highest tier of patronage, Sloane Circle Patrons enjoy a bespoke relationship with the Museum and its historic global collection. You will have the unique opportunity of being able to tailor your experience with the Museum and our curators.

  • ​​​​​​Sloane Circle Patrons generously make an annual gift of £12,000
    • Benefit value: £1,500
    • Suggested donation: £10,500+
    • We kindly ask that first-time Sloane Circle Patrons commit to three years of membership.

To join our highest tier of Patronage and be a part of an exclusive circle of vital supporters, please contact us today.

What's included?

Sir Hans Sloane

The Sloane Circle is named after Sir Hans Sloane, who bequeathed his collection to the nation in his will, which became the founding collection of the British Museum.

A physician by trade, Sir Hans Sloane (1660–1753) was an innovative doctor, promoting the inoculation against smallpox and rising to become President of the College of Physicians in 1719. He was also a collector of objects from around the world.

His career as a collector really began in 1687 when he sailed to Jamaica to work as a physician in the plantations of the then British colony, assembling an important encyclopedic collection of plant specimens, as well as animals and curiosities. Sloane built up a vast collection and by his death in 1753 he had collected over 71,000 items. Among his many natural specimens, his collection included 32,000 coins and medals and 50,000 books, prints and manuscripts (now in the British Library). 

Get in touch

If you'd like to join our highest tier of Patronage and be a part of an exclusive circle of vital supporters, we'd be delighted to hear from you.