1804 1892 Collection

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

Crystal Palace Dinosaur Models
Models sculpted by Benjamin Waterhouse Hawkins, working closely with Joseph Paxton and Richard Owen, were installed in the worlds first dinosaur park which opened at Crystal Palace Park in 1854

Crystal Palace Dinosaur Models
Models sculpted by Benjamin Waterhouse Hawkins, working closely with Joseph Paxton and Richard Owen, were installed in the worlds first dinosaur park which opened at Crystal Palace Park in 1854

Sir Richard Owen (1804-1892)
Portrait of Sir Richard Owen, an English biologist, comparative anatomist and palaeontologist. Picture shows Owen and the skeleton of Dinornis maximus, c. 1877. From The Life of Owen (1894)

Gustaf CederstrAom Karl Emanuel CederstrAom 1804-1892
Gustaf Cederstrom, Karl Emanuel Cederstrom, 1804-1892, painting, 1892, oil on canvas, Height, 56 cm (22 inches), Width, 45 cm (17.7 inches), Signerad, G, Cederstrom 1/1 1892

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

Richard Owen (1804-1892) British naturalist, and anatomist, giving a Friday Evening Discourse on fossils at the Royal Institution, London. Cartoon by Richard Doyle from Punch, London 1849

Richard Owen (1804-1892) British zoologist. Opponent of Charles Darwin and theory of evolution by natural selection. Cartoon from Vanity Fair, London, March 1873

Richard Owen (1804-1892) British naturalist, at the age of 52. Coined term Dinosaur (1841). Opposed Darwin and evolution. From The Strand Magazine, London, 1891. Engraving

Richard Owen (1804-1892) English zoologist. Coined term Dinosaur (1841). Opposed Darwin and evolution. Figure on left with letter in mouth is TH. Huxley

Richard Owen (1804-1892) English anatomist and paleontologist. He coined the word dinosaur (terrible lizard) in 1841. Opposed Darwins theory of natural selection

Richard Owen (1804-1892) British zoologist. Opponent of Darwin

Ichthyosaurus. Illustration taken from the Richard Owen coll
Illustration 117a, annotated by William Clift asNo 4. Profile of Mr Johnsons Fossil found at Lyme

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

Victorian invitation and menu for dinner at Crystal Palace (

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

Bothriospondylus madagascariensis
A fossil specimen of a femur fragment, or thigh bone that once belonged to the dinosaur, Bothriospondylus madagascariensis. It was discovered in Madagacar and dates back to the Middle Jurassic

Ursus speleaus, great cave bear
Fig. 28 from A History of British Fossil Mammals and Birds, by Sir Richard Owen (1804-1892), published in 12 parts, 1844-1846

Homo sapiens, human and Gorilla gorilla, western gorilla
Drawing of a human skeleton and a gorilla skeleton. Published in Transactions of the Zoological Society of London Vol. 5, Part 1 by Richard Owen, 1866

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

Daubentonia madagascariensis, aye-aye
Watercolour by Joseph Wolf (1820-1899). Plate 256 b. from the Richard Owen Drawings Collection held at the Natural History Museum

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

Sir Richard Owen (1804-1892) painted in 1844
Owen holds the leg bone of a moa, and is wearing robes of Professor of Comparative Anatomy at the Royal College of Surgeons. Oil painting by Henry William Pickersgill (1782-1875)

Iguanodon model at Crystal Palace
A concrete model of the Iguanodon, as conceived by Professor Sir Richard Owen. It is located in the grounds of Crystal Palace, London and was worked on by Waterhouse Hawkins and Joseph Paxton in 1854

Sketch for The Natural History Museum, London
An rough architectural plan drawn by Richard Owen in 1859 entitled Idea of a Museum of Natural History. The plan was referred to by Alfred Waterhouse in the creation of the Natural History Museum

Iguanodon model 1854
A 1/20 life size model of the dinosaur Iguanodon created by Waterhouse Hawkins in 1854 under the the supervision of Professor Sir Richard Owen. The model measures 40cm

Didunculus strigirostris, tooth-billed pigeon
Plate 2 from Sir Richard Owens Memoirs on the Dodo, (1866). Held in the Earth Science Library at the Natural History Museum, London

Glyptodon clavipes, giant armadillo
Extinct herbivore that died out about 10, 000 years ago on display in the Central Hall at The Natural History Museum, London. The Glyptodon was named by Sir Richard Owen in 1839

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

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"1804-1892: A Legacy of Scientific Discoveries and Controversy" In the 19th century, a remarkable figure emerged in the field of natural history - Sir Richard Owen (1804-1892). Known for his significant contributions to paleontology and zoology, he left an indelible mark on scientific knowledge. One of Owen's notable achievements was his involvement in the creation of Crystal Palace Dinosaur Models. These life-sized replicas showcased prehistoric creatures like Plesiosaurus macrocephalus, captivating audiences with their awe-inspiring presence. Beyond his work with dinosaur models, Owen made groundbreaking discoveries in anatomy. He famously coined the term "Dinosaur, " meaning "terrible lizard, " which revolutionized our understanding of ancient reptiles. His research extended beyond dinosaurs as well; he studied fascinating creatures such as Raphus cucullatus, commonly known as the dodo. However, it wasn't just scientific breakthroughs that defined Owen's career. As a British naturalist and anatomist, he engaged in intellectual debates that shaped scientific discourse during his time. Notably, he became an opponent of Charles Darwin and his theory of evolution. Despite disagreements with Darwin's ideas, Owen's contributions to science cannot be overlooked. At the age of 52, this English zoologist continued to make significant strides in unraveling nature's mysteries. Owen's legacy endures today through his extensive body of work and influential writings. His dedication to studying animals' structure and function laid the foundation for modern comparative anatomy. As we reflect on Sir Richard Owen (1804-1892), we recognize him not only as a brilliant scientist but also as a complex figure who challenged prevailing theories while leaving an undeniable impact on our understanding of Earth's past inhabitants.