The Ruskin - Library, Museum and Research Centre facts for kids
Quick facts for kids The Ruskin - Library, Museum and Research Centre |
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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 storage place for old and important items (an archive), a museum where you can see cool things, and a research centre where people study.
This centre used to be called the Ruskin Library until 2019. It is now led by Professor Sandra Kemp. The Ruskin is home to a huge collection of items by a famous artist, writer, and thinker named John Ruskin (who lived from 1819 to 1900). He was also very interested in nature and how society works.
You can see parts of this collection at The Ruskin building in Lancaster University. This building was specially designed for the collection by Sir Richard MacCormac. You can also find parts of the collection at Brantwood, which was Ruskin's home near Coniston Water. Lancaster University bought this amazing collection in 2019. The Ruskin opened its doors on September 26, 2019, with an exhibition to celebrate 200 years since Ruskin was born.
The Ruskin building is currently closed for upgrades until 2024. But don't worry, they are still holding events, exhibitions, and learning programs online and in other places!
Contents
Discover The Ruskin Whitehouse Collection
The Ruskin Whitehouse Collection is the biggest collection of John Ruskin's work in the world. It was put together by a man named John Howard Whitehouse, who was a teacher and a politician. This collection is very important and is used by many people for study.
What's in the Collection?
The collection has thousands of paintings, drawings, and diagrams. It also includes many letters and old writings. You can find old photographs, including a very early type called daguerreotypes. There's a huge library, which even includes some of Ruskin's own books! Plus, there are many writings about Ruskin himself.
This collection shows all the different things Ruskin was interested in. He studied everything from buildings and art to how money works and the natural world.
How the Collection Was Bought
In 2019, Lancaster University bought The Ruskin Whitehouse Collection. Many different groups and trusts helped pay for it. These included the National Heritage Memorial Fund and the Art Fund, among others. Their support made sure this important collection could stay together and be shared with everyone.
The Ruskin Building
The building where The Ruskin is located was designed by Sir Richard MacCormac and his team. It first opened in 1998. Princess Alexandra officially opened it.
The building is very special and has won several awards. It won the Independent on Sunday Building of the Year Award in 1996. It also won the Royal Fine Art Commission/BSkyB Building of the Year for universities in 1998. In 1999, it was even named a "Millennium Product" by the Design Council.
What Happens at The Ruskin
The Ruskin shares its collection with other places around the world. Items from the collection have been shown in Europe, America, and East Asia.
The Ruskin also offers many activities for people of all ages. They have temporary exhibitions, talks, lectures, and creative workshops. Since 2020, many of these activities have been held online.
Students at Lancaster University, local schools, and colleges use The Ruskin Whitehouse Collection for their learning. Museum staff help lead these educational programs.
The Ruskin Research Centre works closely with the public programs. They do "live" research with different communities. They also have regular talks and a journal where they share new discoveries about Ruskin.
