through our collection of over 310,000 images and 2,800 Fellows.
about this project and the Royal Society scientific archives.
Discover the historical context of our collections in our .
Welcome to
Science in the Making
In 1665, the first issue of the Royal Society trailblazing scientific journal, the Philosophical Transactions appears. Since then, the Royal Society journals have showcased the work of preeminent scientific minds of the past 360 years.
Today, Science in the Making dives back into the archives and allows users to discover how science was made, discussed, and shared since the very beginnings of its history.
Explore the collections
-
Herschel Letters
Dates: 1807-1875
This collection of nearly 10,900 letters, drafts, copies and notes is the largest repository of scientific correspondence from and to Sir John Herschel, leading figure of Victorian science.View collection -
Early Letters
Dates: 1613-1740
The archival collection known as 'Early Letters' is composed of original manuscript letters sent to, or collected by, the Royal Society from English and foreign correspondents.View collection -
Classified Papers
Dates: 1592-1741
The 'Classified Papers' of the Royal Society are papers from British and international natural philosophers and scholars categorised according to subject areas.View collection -
Register Books
Dates: 1661-1739
The 'Register Books Originals' contain copies of scientific papers submitted to the Society and considered for publication. The papers were transcribed to establish their precedence for a particular discovery or idea.View collection -
Letters and Papers
Dates: 1741-1806
'Letters and Papers' contains the scientific correspondence sent to the Royal Society through the 18th century, many of which were published in its journal.View collection -
Archived Papers
Dates: 1768-1989
The 'Archived Papers' collection is comprised of original manuscript scientific papers and letters submitted to the Royal Society which remained unpublished or were abstracted in the journal 'Proceedings of the Royal Society' published from 1830 onwards.View collection -
Philosophical Transactions
Dates: 1802-1865
The 'Philosophical Transactions' collection comprises manuscript versions of papers published in The Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society, the world’s first and longest continuously running journal dedicated to science.View collection -
Referee Reports
Date: 1832-1954
This collection contains reports on scientific papers submitted for publication to the Royal Society. Started in 1832 when the system was formalised, it is a record of the origins of peer review publishing in practice.View collection -
Manuscripts General
Dates: 1551 - 1951
Science in the Making presents selected items from the 'Manuscripts General' series, notably astronomical observations, investigations of discrete topics, and indices and registers of papers read before the Royal Society.View collection -
Proceedings Papers
Dates: 1882 - 1894
The archival collection known as 'Proceedings Papers' is comprised of manuscripts and occasional proofs of scientific papers sent to the Royal Society which were read before meetings of Fellows and printed in full in the Proceedings of the Royal Society.View collection
-
Photographic experimentation in the letters of Sir John Herschel
Tracing early experimental practices, Carolin Lange from the Photographic History Research Centre, De Montfort University Leicester, explores the vast network of individuals curious about photography, through the letters of Sir John Herschel.
Read more about Photographic experimentation in the letters of Sir John Herschel -
Looking backwards into the future
Opening the doors of locked strongrooms, Keith Moore, Head of Library and Information Services, explores the treasures of the Royal Society, the organisation’s manuscripts of experiment, observation, theory, and data.
Read more about Looking backwards into the future -
Segregated pasts
Delving into the archaeological archives of the Royal Society, Pratik Chakrabarti and Dmitrii Blyshko explore the ways in which territorial segregation and the definition of 'antiquity' have left their mark upon the modern collection.
Read more about Segregated pasts -
'I do not agree with sex being brought into science at all’
Women from the past have left only faint traces of their existence in the Royal Society archives, and none were admitted as Fellows until 1945. Patricia Fara explores new stories about the past, bringing scientific women into focus.
Read more about 'I do not agree with sex being brought into science at all’ -
Skin and understanding difference: race in the Royal Society archives
Examining the records of marginalised peoples within the archives, Meleisa Ono-George explores the pivotal role the Royal Society played in the development of the conception of 'race' and the formulation of knowledge about human difference and variety in the eighteenth century.
Read more about Skin and understanding difference: race in the Royal Society archives -
Smallpox in the archives
Eighteenth-century Europeans took part in the largest human experiment ever conducted: inoculation against smallpox. Anita Guerrini reveals the central role of the Philosophical Transactions in circulating information about the technique and the complex ethical issues around the practice.
Read more about Smallpox in the archives