The Palace and Park

Edward Forbes

1815–1854

A brilliant 19th-century naturalist and marine zoologist, this Manx scientist helped shape early ideas about how plants and animals are distributed across land and sea. His curiosity ranged from fossils and geology to deep-sea life, and his work left a lasting mark despite his short life.

R. G. (Robert Gordon) Latham

1812–1888

A Victorian physician, philologist, and ethnologist, he wrote widely on language, race, and the peoples of Europe and the wider world. His work sits at the crossroads of medicine, travel-era scholarship, and 19th-century debates about human origins and identity.

Richard Owen

1804–1892

Best known for coining the word “dinosaur,” this brilliant and controversial Victorian scientist helped reshape how people understood the animal world. His work ranged from comparative anatomy to museum building, leaving a mark on both science and public life.

George Scharf

1820–1895

Best known for leading London’s National Portrait Gallery in its early years, he was also a skilled illustrator and art scholar with a deep interest in historical portraiture. His career connected Victorian museum life, careful visual research, and the growing public passion for art history.

Best remembered for his long connection with the Crystal Palace at Sydenham, this Victorian writer and educator helped shape popular guides and educational material for one of Britain's great public institutions. His work blended practical explanation with a lively interest in art, science, and literature.