The Oxford University Museum of Natural History (OUMNH) is one of Oxford’s most iconic Victorian buildings and one of the University’s principal museums. Opened in 1860 as the University Museum, it was created to bring together scientific teaching, research, and collections, which had previously been scattered across the University, under one roof. It is famous as the venue of the 1860 Oxford evolution debate, often called the “Huxley-Wilberforce Debate” or the “Great Debate”, held shortly after the publication of Charles Darwin’s On the Origin of Species. Today the museum holds internationally important collections of natural history specimens, including the first described dinosaur, the Megalosaurus, and the only soft tissue remains of a dodo left anywhere in the world.
Most visitors are unaware that behind the public galleries, the Oxford University Museum of Natural History holds a rich archive documenting its own history. These documents, photographs, architectural plans, and objects provide a unique insight into the scientists, architects, craftsmen, and Pre-Raphaelite artists who came together to create and decorate this remarkable Victorian temple to science and nature.
Drawing on material from the museum’s archives, this talk will explore the history of the building itself, revealing how its architecture, decoration, and collections reflect Victorian ideas about science, art, and education. It will also examine how the historical archive continues to shape the museum today, informing conservation, interpretation, and future developments, and demonstrating the enduring value of archives in understanding and caring for one of Oxford’s most iconic buildings.
Danielle Czerkaszyn is the Librarian and Archivist at the Natural History Museum, University of Oxford. Danielle is responsible for management of the Museum’s Library and Archive, including the development, digitisation, collection care, conservation, security, promotion and access of collections, which includes published works and original material. She supports museum staff, academics, researchers, students, and members of the public with an interest in natural history or the Museum’s collections. Danielle received a BA in History from the University of Guelph, an MA in History from the University of Western Ontario, an MA in Museum Studies from the University of Leicester, and an MA in Library and Information Services Management from the University of Sheffield.
All attendees will be sent a recording of the talk.