The Royal Albert Memorial Museum was initially proposed by Sir Stafford Northcote (1st Earl of Iddesleigh), and John Gendall volunteered to curate an initial collection required for the planned building.
Initially proposed by Sir Stafford Northcote as a practical memorial to Prince Albert, an appeal fund was launched in 1861. John Gendall volunteered to curate an initial collection required to fill the planned building. Stafford Henry Northcote, 1st Earl of Iddesleigh GCB PC FRS (27 October 1818  12 January 1887), known as Sir Stafford Northcote, Bt from 1851 to 1885, was a British Conservative politician. 
