After studying medicine in Paris, Balthasar Hacquet (1739 or 1740–1815) became a soldier in the French navy, and later also a military surgeon. In 1766, he accepted the job of a mine surgeon and obstetrician in Idrija. He remained there as Scopoli's successor until 1773, after which he worked in Ljubljana as a lecturer in anatomy, surgery and obstetrics at the Ljubljana Lyceum and at the midwifery school. Between 1774 and 1787 he was the secretary of the Society for Agriculture and Applied Arts in Carniola. From 1785 to 1787 he lectured on agricultural and handicraft chemistry. In addition to his medical and lecturing work, he also dedicated himself to the research of geological, botanical, geographical, ethnographic and other characteristics of today's Slovenian territory. He described them in the work Oryctographia Carniolica, as well as in traveller’s journals, and individual studies. In 1777, he attempted to climb Triglav, but was only able to reach Mali Triglav. He succeeded in climbing to the top two years later, and supposedly repeated the climb in 1782. He was also a member of the Zois circle.

The collection presents Hacquet's works as well as biographical and other studies on his life and work.