Maxwell Sommerville

Born in 1829 and raised in Philadelphia, Maxwell Sommerville first learned about gems from his grandfather, James McAlpine. He attended public schools and graduated from Central High School, later becoming known for his deep interest in engraved gems, or glyptology.

Penn Museum describes him as one of the most colorful figures connected with the museum’s early years and notes that he was its first and only Professor of Glyptology. After building wealth through publishing, he devoted himself to collecting engraved gems and ethnographic objects, and his collections became an important part of the museum’s holdings.

He also wrote travel and cultural works, including Siam; on the Meinam from the Gulf to Ayuthia, which paired travel writing with fiction shaped by Siamese life and customs. Sommerville died in Paris in 1904, leaving behind a reputation as an eccentric scholar-collector whose interests ranged widely across art, antiquity, and world cultures.