(Born: Leyden, The Netherlands, 11 May 1722; Died: Haag, The Netherlands, 7 April 1789) Dutch physician.

Camper was a physician and professor of medicine at Franeker (1750), Amsterdam (1755) and Gröningen (1763). His mineralogical/geological collection was acquired by the University of Gröningen in 1820.

Biographical references: Aa, Biographisch Woordenboek, 1852-78: 3, 66-74. • BAB: 124, 233-278. • Catalogue of Portraits of Naturalists: 256 [4 portraits listed]. • Engel, Dutch Zoological Cabinets, 1986: p. 52-3. • Kobus, Biographisch Woordenboek, 1886. • NNBW: 1, cols. 552-6. • Poggendorff: 1, col. 368. • Visser, R.P.W., "Dutch palaeontologists of the 18th century," Janus, 62 (1975), 125-49.

1. French, 1789 [Part 1].
Lettres sur quelques objets de minéralogie, à Mr. le professeur Petrus Camper, etc. [By Prince D. A. Golitsuin.]. La Haye, 1789.

8°: 122 p., 6 plates.

Rare. Letters on some subjects of mineralogy from M.G. Forster to Petrus Camper. They were prepared for publication by Dmitrii Aleksyeevich Golitsyn (Gallitzin). A second series was published in 1790.

Bibliographical references: BL [987.g.21.(1.)].

2. French, 1790 [Part 2].
Lettre à Mr. G. Forster, conseiller de la cour de S. A. E. de Mayence, bibliothéquaire de l'université de Mayence, membre des Académies Royales des Sciences de Berlin, de Madrid, de l'Acad. Impériale Léopoldine, des Sociétés royales des Sciences de Londres, de Copenhague, de Göttingue, des Sociétés Royales d'Agriculture de Paris, et de Zell, de la Société d'Antiquités de Cassel, etc. etc. Pour servir de suite et de seconde partie, aux lettres écrites en 1789 à Mr. P. Camper [By Prince Dmitry Dmitrievich Golitsuin]. A la Haye, 1790.

8°: [2], 54, [2] p., 8 plates.

Rare. Continuation of the letters on mineralogical subjects first published in 1789.

Bibliographical references: BL [987.g.21.(2.)]. • LKG: VI 104b. • NUC.

3. German, 1797 [German transl.].
Briefe über einige mineralogische Gegenstände an Herrn Peter Camper. Aus dem Französischen übersetzt und mit Anmerkungen vermehrt von F.A.A. Meyer. Göttingen, J. Chr. Dieterich, 1797.

8°: *⁶ A-O⁸ P²; 120l.; [12], 228 p., 8 engraved plates (one colored), one map.

Very scarce. A translation by Friedrich Albrecht Anton Meyer [1768-1795] of Lettres sur quelques Objets de Minéralogie (Paris, 1789-90). This translation contains the text of both of the previously published parts.

Bibliographical references: BL [726.f.5.]. • BMC: 1, p. 305. • Gatterer, Mineralogischen Literatur, 1798-9: 1, 288. • LKG: VI 103a.

4. German, 1784-90 [Collected works].
Peter Campers sämmtliche kleinere Schriften die Arzney- Wundarzneykunst und Naturgeschichte betreffend mit vielen neuen Zusäßen und Vermehrungen des Verfassers bereichert von J.F.M. Herbell. Leipzig, Siegfried Lebrecht Crusius, 1784-90.

3 vols. in six parts. [Vol 1, pt. 1: 1784] 8°: 157 p., 4 folding plates. [Vol 1, pt. 2: 1784] 8°: [10], 184, [4] p., 6 folding plates. [Vol 2, pt. 1: 1785] 8°: [6], 183 p., 4 folding plates. [Vol 2, pt. 2: 1787] 8°: [14], 182 p., 4 folding plates. [Vol 3, pt. 1: 1788] 8°: [12], 221 p., 4 folding plates. [Vol 3, pt. 2: 1790] 8°: [6], 183 p., 3 folding plates.

Rare. The collected works of Camper contains his writings on medicine, natural history and science. Each part of each volume has a special title page reading "Peter Campers ... kleinere Schriften die Arzney- und Wundarzneykunst und fürnehmlich die Naturgeschichte betreffend."

Bibliographical references: BL [954.c.1-3.]. • LKG: VI 102**. • NUC: 92, 382-4.

Description , 1811

5. French, 1811 [Collection catalog].
Description | Succincte | Du Musée | De | Pierre Camper, | Par Son Fils | Adrien Camper | [...7 lines of titles and memberships...] | [rule] | Amsterdam et á La Haye, | Chez les Frères Van Cleef. | 1811.

8°: viii, 93 p. Page size: 210 x 125 mm.

Rare. The catalogue of Petrus Camper's cabinet."Heir of the cabinet of natural history and medical objects of his father, which was bought by King William I for the University of Groningen (1820). During the great fire in 1906 the collection was partly destroyed. Part of his paleontological collection is at Haarlem (Teyler Museum). For several years Camper corresponded with George Cuvier, whom he supplied with descriptions and drawings of the fossils of his cabinet" (Engel). The catalogue consists of an introduction, followed by four sections: 1. "Anatomie du corps humain, combinée avec la pathologie," 2. "Anatomie et squelettes de mammifères," 3. "Débris d'animaux et de végétaux fossiles," and 4. "Fossiles, Minérau". The last section is the largest one covering pages 55-93.

Bibliographical references: Engel, Dutch Zoological Cabinets, 1986: no. 273.

.