Oxford University Museum of Natural History In the 1840's science was at a low ebb within the university. Thomas Acland the guiding light behind the building was determined to redress this deficiency within the great university. It was Acland a personal friend of John Ruskin that was primarily responsible for igniting Ruskin's enthusiasm for the project, which eventually reflected as much upon Ruskinian principals as it did upon Acland's initial vision. The Museum next to University Parks and preceding Keble College (now opposite)1860 by Deane and Wooward fortuitously coincided with Charles Darwin's "Origin of Species". The building is remarkable as it records this period faithfully but reflects John Ruskin's influence upon the upon architecture and a meeting of artistic and scientific ideas in this seminal period. The museum also hosted the celebrated meeting of The British Association at which Thomas Henry Huxley defended Darwin's theory of evolution by means of natural selection against Rt Revd. Samuel Wilberforce the then Bishop of Oxford.The building was built in a gothic style however its construction was in modern materials and was forward looking, although perhaps its iron and glass interior owes something to Paxton's Crystal Palace, though certainly not in its style which has been described as a Belgian wool hall rather than a Venetian Palace as favoured by Ruskin. The building does however reflect in a physical and artistic form the ideas and principles that shaped Ruskin's thought and life and is in stark contrast to almost any other secular building of the period,

The building both inside and out is covered in some of the finest stone-carving of the Victorian era to be found anywhere in Britain. Much of this was done under Ruskin's direction, see James O'Shea's work (window west front). Ruskin believed that much of the design and ornament should be left to the workers themselves once the main architectural principles had ben established. This was the first building where the O'Shea brothers of Ballhooly, Co Cork were employed.

This building's interior is like a forest of iron and glass, the spandrels are richly decorated and the capitals comprise of elaborate foliage. These were wrought by Francis Skidmore of Coventry.