History of the Museum
Originally part of the British Museum, the Museum of Natural History began with a donation to the country of the collection of Sir Hans Sloane in 1753. Sloane, who was a physician, is said to have collected "natural curiosities".
Interior A competition was held to determine the architect for the new building. The winner was Captain Francis Fowke who, unfortunately, died before he was able to complete his design. The honors then went to Alfred Waterhouse, who designed a German Romanesque structure that is now known as the Waterhouse Building.
The collections were moved to their new home in 1883, but it wasn't until 1963 that these and additional collections were considered a museum in their own right.
Detail of the facade
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