El Museo Canario (Canary Museum)

Las Palmas de Gran Canaria · Category: Cultural spaces · Subcategory: Museums · Year: 1879

The Canary Museum was created in 1879 by a group of intellectuals led by Dr. Gregorio Chil y Naranjo, to encourage scientific and cultural development in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, while at the time representing one of the city's earliest tourist attractions. 

The idea of founding an institution such as this was fundamentally down to two circumstances: on the one hand, the fad in the so called "Canary antiques" around the middle of the century on the part of the local bourgeoisie, who undertook to bring in old remains related to the life and times of the aboriginal population in informal expeditions and explorations; and on the other, the development of French anthropological research, as several of the founders of the Canary Museum had close scientific ties with leading pioneers in this field, including Verneau, Broca, Quatrefages, Hamy and Berthelot.

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