Sir Richard Owen Collection

Raphus cucullatus, dodo
Plate 1 from Memoirs on the Dodo by Sir Richard Owen, 1866

Pen and ink sketch by B. Waterhouse Hawkins
Sketch on the reverse of a letter dated 24 October 1855, written to Professor Richard Owen from Benjamin Waterhouse Hawkins Date: 1855

The Royal Society (engraving)
1046913 The Royal Society (engraving) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: The Royal Society, a Portrait Group of some of the Most Distinguished Fellows)

Remains of an extinct animal found in the Isle of Wight, 1865. Creator: Unknown
Remains of an extinct animal found in the Isle of Wight, 1865. 'A very remarkable reptile, to which Professor Owen has given the name of Polacanthus

Sir Richard Owen, 1804 - 1892
3083223 Sir Richard Owen, 1804 - 1892.; Private Collection; (add.info.: English biologist, comparative anatomist and paleontologist)

Professor Thomas Henry Huxley, 1880. Artist: Lock & Whitfield
Professor Thomas Henry Huxley, 1880. Between the years 1847-1850 he was the assistant surgeon aboard HMS Rattlesnake off the eastern and northern coasts of Australia

The late Sir Richard Owen, KCB, FRS (engraving)
1603307 The late Sir Richard Owen, KCB, FRS (engraving) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: The late Sir Richard Owen, KCB, FRS)

Sir Richard Owen (engraving)
1603711 Sir Richard Owen (engraving) by Hunt, William Holman (1827-1910); Private Collection; (add.info.: Sir Richard Owen. Illustration for The Illustrated London News, 12 November 1892)

A Momento of Her Majestys Jubilee Year, 1887 (engraving)
1046432 A Momento of Her Majestys Jubilee Year, 1887 (engraving) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: A Momento of Her Majestys Jubilee Year, 1887)

Portrait of Sir Richard Owen (b / w photo)
984216 Portrait of Sir Richard Owen (b/w photo) by Lock and Whitfield (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Sir Richard Owen, British biologist, comparative anatomist and paleontologist)

Sheen Lodge, Richmond, where Sir Richard Owen died (b / w photo)
1603821 Sheen Lodge, Richmond, where Sir Richard Owen died (b/w photo) by English Photographer, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Sheen Lodge, Richmond, where Sir Richard Owen died)

Sir Richard Owen, KCB, FRS (b / w photo)
736377 Sir Richard Owen, KCB, FRS (b/w photo) by English Photographer, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Sir Richard Owen, KCB, FRS)

Richard Owen, 1860s. Creator: John & Charles Watkins
Richard Owen, 1860s

Richard Owen, 1878. Artist: Lock & Whitfield
Richard Owen, 1878. After qualifying and practising as a surgeon, Owen made major contributions in the fields of anatomy and paleontology

Richard Owen, English zoologist, 1884. Artist: Edward Linley Sambourne
Richard Owen, English zoologist, 1884. After qualifying and practising as a surgeon, Owen (1804-1892) made major contributions in the fields of anatomy and paleontology

Water Baby being examined by Richard Owen and T. H. Huxley. Artist: Edward Linley Sambourne
Water Baby being examined by Richard Owen and T.H. Huxley. Tom, a run-away chimney sweeps boy, who falls into river and becomes a Water Baby, being examined by Richard Owen (left) and T.H. Huxley

Naturalists dining inside a model of a dinosaur, Crystal Palace, Sydenham, New Years Eve, 1853. Dinner given by sculptor Benjamin Waterhouse Hawkins (1807-1889)

The Meeting of the (Royal) Zoological Society, Hanover Square, London, 1885. Artist: Harry Furniss
The Meeting of the Zoological Society, Hanover Square, London, 1885. The naturalist Richard Owen (1804-1892) is in the left foreground, next to Mr Punch, holding an Apteryx bursting from its egg

A Scientific Institution. During ye Lecture of an Eminent Savan, 1849. Artist: Richard Doyle
A Scientific Institution. During ye Lecture of an Eminent Savan, 1849. Richard Owen (1804-1892) British naturalist and anatomist

Richard Owen, British naturalist, c1856 (1891). After qualifying and practising as a surgeon, Owen (1804-1892) made major contributions in the fields of anatomy and paleontology

Richard Owen, English anatomist and paleontologist, 1872. After qualifying and practising as a surgeon, Owen (1804-1892) made major contributions in the fields of anatomy and paleontology

Sir Richard Owen, English zoologist, c1860. Artist: DJ Pound
Sir Richard Owen, English zoologist, c1860. Owen studied medicine at Edinburgh and at St Bartholomews and became curator in the museum of the Royal College of Surgeons where he produced a fine series

Professor Sir Richard Owen, FRS, KCB, naturalist, 1873. Artist: Spy
Professor Sir Richard Owen, FRS, KCB, naturalist, 1873. Entitled Men of the Day, No 57: Old Bones, showing the naturalist and author Richard Owen, who attacked Darwins Origin of Species

Richard Owen, British zoologist, 1873. Artist: Spy
Richard Owen, British zoologist, 1873. After qualifying and practising as a surgeon, Owen (1804-1892) made major contributions in the fields of anatomy and paleontology

Plesiosaurus macrocephalus
Plate 15 from Geology and Inhabitants of the Ancient World, by Sir Richard Owen, (1854). This marine reptile could be found during the Jurassic period between 200 and 145 million years ago. Date: 1854

Aye-aye paws, artwork C013 / 6602
Aye-aye (Daubentonia madagascariensis) paws. This nocturnal lemur uses its long middle finger to dig grubs out of trees. Plate 258 c from the Richard Owen Drawings Collection held at the Natural

Fake rodent skeleton
Sent to the Museum by amateur palaeontologist Reverend C Green in 1843. The skeleton had not been dug out of the ground whole and bones belonged to different individuals

Drawing of the wing of a bat from Owens book On the Nature
From Richard Owens book On the Nature of Limbs (1849)

View of statue of Sir Richard Owen (1804-1892)
The Central Hall, the Natural History Museum, London. Superintendent of the Natural History Departments of the British Museum 1856-1883

Sir Richard Owen, The Natural History Museum, London
Side view of the statue of Sir Richard Owen (1804-1892), the founder and first director of the Natural History Museum, London. Photographed by Elad Sherman

Owens plan for the Natural History Museum, London

Pezophaps solitaria, Rodrigues solitaire
Plate number 512 c by Richard Owen drawn from a male skeleton specimen at Cambridge university.This giant flightless pigeon was the closest relative of the dodo, it was native to Rodrigues Island

Sculpture of Richard Owen, which is situated at the back of the Central Hall in the Natural History Museum, London

Toxodon platensis
Pleistocene specimen collected by Charles Darwin near Montevideo, Uraguay during the Voyage of the Beagle 1832-1836. Skull length is 66 cms

Sir Richard Owen, caricature
Sir Richard Owen (1804-1892). Caricature of the English anatomist and palaeontologist Richard Owen, showing him with a large forehead and jaw, and bushy hair

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Sir Richard Owen was a renowned English zoologist who made significant contributions to the field of natural history. Born in 1804, he became a prominent figure in the scientific community and played a pivotal role in establishing The Royal Society as an esteemed institution. Throughout his career, Sir Richard Owen conducted extensive research and documentation on various species. His pen and ink sketches, such as the one by B. Waterhouse Hawkins depicting Raphus cucullatus, commonly known as the dodo, showcased his meticulous attention to detail. In 1884, Edward Linley Sambourne captured Sir Richard Owen's essence through an artistically crafted portrait. This image portrayed his dedication to studying nature while examining a Water Baby alongside T. H. Huxley. As a testament to his achievements, engravings were created to honor Sir Richard Owen after his passing. These images depicted him with reverence and highlighted his distinguished status within society. One engraving showcased "The late Sir Richard Owens Home, " Sheen Lodge in Richmond where he spent his final days immersed in scientific pursuits. Another engraving titled "A Momento of Her Majestys Jubilee Year" commemorated Queen Victoria's jubilee year and acknowledged Sir Richard Owen's influential role during that time. A black-and-white photograph captured another side of this remarkable scientist - solemn yet determined - presenting us with a glimpse into Sir Richard Owen's persona beyond drawings and engravings. Sheen Lodge stands today as not only the place where he passed away but also as a symbol of his lasting legacy within the scientific community. It serves as a reminder of how one man's passion for zoology can shape our understanding of the natural world for generations to come.