From Messier to Abell: 200 years of science with galaxy clusters

I review the history of scientific research on galaxy clusters, from 1784, the year of publication of Messier's catalogue, to 1983, the year of George O. Abell's premature death. My review covers four main topics: 1) the distribution of clusters, 2) the cluster components, 3) the cluster structure, 4) the evolution of clusters. I consider both theoretical and observational aspects, but not technical aspects, such as the development of new telescopes and instruments. In total, 529 papers are cited in this review.