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Discover›Design & architecture
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Alfred Waterhouse
Architect

Alfred Waterhouse

Famoose for

Designing London’s Natural History Museum and Manchester Town Hall

Manchester Town Hall · Natural History Museum

Born
19 July 1830
Birthplace
Liverpool
Died
22 August 1905

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Alfred Waterhouse

Alfred Waterhouse was a British architect associated with Victorian civic and institutional buildings. His work used Gothic and Romanesque forms alongside carefully planned interiors.

Early life

Quaker education

Born in Liverpool to a Quaker family, he attended Grove House School in Tottenham before architectural training.

Career

  1. 1848

    Architectural training

    Began studying architecture.

  2. Victorian period

    Major commissions

    Built a large practice designing civic, educational and commercial buildings.

Selected buildings

Manchester Town Hall

A major Gothic Revival civic building.

Natural History Museum

The London museum is distinguished by its terracotta decoration.

Beyond architecture

Family and painting

Married writer Elizabeth Hodgkin in 1860; both enjoyed watercolour painting.

Sources & photo creditBiography and career ↗Biographical references ↗

Original photograph. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.

Photo: Elliott & Fry. Public domain · Original image. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.