History of science resources
Discover our collection catalogues, digital resources as well as blog posts, videos and images. Our print store is also available here.
The Royal Society supports activities in the history of science and related disciplines by making available resources and funding, by celebrating history through awards, and in hosting public events. On this page you will find a wide range of online resources related to the history of science, to aid remote research, to explain, and to inspire. Find information catalogues, full text manuscripts and books, and interpretative material here.
Explore our resources
Search the archives
Search our extensive records documenting the activities of the Society and its Fellows since the…
Search printed works
Explore the library collection of printed books and periodicals.
Search past Fellows
Find information on all past Fellows, over 7,000 eminent scientists and natural philosophers from…
Science in the making
Access high-resolution digital images of Royal Society manuscripts.
Picture library
Explore over 10,000 high resolution images hand-picked from our historic collections.
Google Arts & Culture
Discover our digital exhibits on Google Arts & Culture.
Turning the pages
Leaf through digital replicas of some of our treasures.
Print Store
We offer thousands of images from the Royal Society's archive as prints, canvases and cards.
Objectivity YouTube channel
A series of videos about science treasures. In each video we uncover amazing objects and…
The Philosophical Transactions
Search through over 350 years of the scientific journal of the Royal Society.
The Wolfson Foundation archive
Read a collection of stories and documents from the Wolfson Foundation's archive.
People of Science
Brian Cox interviews David Attenborough, Venki Ramakrishnan, and other leading scientists.
Wilkins-Bernal-Medawar Medal and Lecture
This prize lecture is given on a subject relating to the history of science, philosophy of science…
The Lisa Jardine Grant Scheme
Travel grants to support archival research and career development in interdisciplinary studies.
Notes & Records
The Royal Society journal of the history of science.
Biographical memoirs
A unique compilation of memoirs celebrating the lives and scientific achievements of Fellows of…
History of scientific journals
360 years of scientific publishing.
History of science blog posts
View all posts
Kip Heath
In History of science
2 min read
Irène Joliot-Curie: coming out of her parents’ shadow
A blog post about the daughter of one of the most famous female scientists in history - Irène…
Katherine Marshall
In History of science
3 min read
Visual disturbances
Katharine Marshall looks at the work of physician Hubert Airy on migraine auras, or scintillating…
Nilakshi Das
In History of science
5 min read
Seen and unseen
Guest blogger Nilakshi Das discusses how her research on the scientific careers of South Asian…
Keith Moore
In History of science
5 min read
A Christmas list
What does the Royal Society Library want for Christmas? Keith Moore lists some stocking fillers to…
Jon Bushell
In History of science
5 min read
Brain boxes
Jon Bushell looks at the Edinburgh University artificial intelligence research of Christopher…
History of science
The Royal Society uses its unmatched historical collections as a resource for the academic study in the history of science and other disciplines, and as a source of inspiration for the wider public.