The Ruskin, Lancaster facts for kids
Quick facts for kids The Ruskin, Lancaster |
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| The Ruskin – Library, Museum and Research Centre | |
| Country | England |
| Location | Lancaster |
| Coordinates | 54°00′36″N 2°47′16″W / 54.0101197888021°N 2.7878114268054732°W |
The Ruskin – Library, Museum and Research Centre is a special place at Lancaster University in northern England. It's like a big treasure chest filled with old books, art, and important papers. It's also a place where people do research. Before 2019, it was simply called the Ruskin Library.
The Ruskin is home to the amazing Ruskin Whitehouse Collection. This is the biggest collection of items by John Ruskin in the world. John Ruskin (1819–1900) was a famous artist, writer, and thinker who cared a lot about nature and society. His collection is shown at The Ruskin building and also at Brantwood, which was his home. Lancaster University bought this collection in 2019 with help from a special fund.
In 2021, Lancaster University announced that The Ruskin would close for a while to make improvements. It reopened in 2024. While the building was closed, The Ruskin still offered online programs and events.
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The Ruskin Whitehouse Collection
The Ruskin Whitehouse Collection was started by John Howard Whitehouse (1873–1955). He was an educator and a Member of Parliament. This collection is the largest of John Ruskin's works anywhere. Many people use it for their studies because it has so much information.
The collection holds thousands of paintings, drawings, and diagrams. It also has many letters, old writings, photographs, and a huge library. This library even includes books that John Ruskin himself owned. You can find items about all of Ruskin's many interests here. These include art, buildings, how money works in society, and even science.
How the Collection Was Purchased
In 2019, Lancaster University bought The Ruskin Whitehouse Collection. Many groups helped pay for it. The main support came from the Education Trust Limited, the Whitehouse Trust, and the National Heritage Memorial Fund. Other groups like the Art Fund and the Garfield Weston Foundation also helped.
The Ruskin Building
The building where The Ruskin is located was designed by Sir Richard MacCormac. It opened in 1998. The building has won several awards for its design. These include the Independent on Sunday Building of the Year Award in 1996. It also received special recognition in 1999 as a Millennium Product.
What Happens at The Ruskin
The Ruskin shares its collection with other places around the world. Items are loaned to museums and galleries in Europe, America, and Asia.
The Ruskin also has many activities for everyone. They offer temporary art shows, talks, and creative workshops. Since 2020, many of these events have been held online.
The Ruskin Whitehouse Collection is used in learning programs at Lancaster University. It also helps local schools and colleges. Museum staff lead these educational activities.
The Ruskin Research Centre works closely with the public programs. They do "live" research with different communities. They also have regular talks and publish a journal.
