Skip to content

Please be aware that some material may contain words, descriptions or illustrations which will not reflect current scientific understanding and may be considered in today's context inaccurate, unethical, offensive or distressing.

The Royal Society: Science in the Making

Letter, from Antoni van Leeuwenhoek to the Royal Society, dated at Delft

Reference number: EL/L3/47

Date: 25 December 1702

Description

Signed autograph
Observations of duckweed, its roots and reproduction; observations of ciliates, vorticellids and rotifera and the budding of hydra, an asexual form of procreation, all of which are attached to duckweed
Read to the Royal Society on 17 February 1702
7 red-chalk figures attached
English translation see EL/L3/48
Transcribed and translated in 'Alle de brieven van Antoni van Leeuwenhoek', edited, illustrated and annotated by Committee of Dutch Scientists, vol 14, p 159
English translation printed in 'Philosophical Transactions', vol 23, no 283, p 1304
B&W negative of last page, Box N101.

Reference number
EL/L3/47
Earliest possible date
25 December 1702
Page extent
13 pages
Format
Manuscript
Also available on Early Modern Letters Online
View Also available on Early Modern Letters Online (external link, opens in new tab)

Creator name

Antoni van Leeuwenhoek

View page for Antoni van Leeuwenhoek

Use this record

IIIF manifest

View​ IIIF ​ manifest Opens in new tab

Open in Mirador viewer Opens in new tab

Export this record

Download PDF Opens in new tab

Citation

Antoni van Leeuwenhoek, Letter, from Antoni van Leeuwenhoek to the Royal Society, dated at Delft, 25 December 1702, EL/L3/47, The Royal Society Archives, London, https://makingscience.royalsociety.org/items/el_l3_47/letter-from-antoni-van-leeuwenhoek-to-the-royal-society-dated-at-delft, accessed on 09 October 2026

Link to this record

https://makingscience.royalsociety.org/items/el_l3_47/letter-from-antoni-van-leeuwenhoek-to-the-royal-society-dated-at-delft

Embed this record

<iframe src="https://makingscience.royalsociety.org/embed/items/el_l3_47/letter-from-antoni-van-leeuwenhoek-to-the-royal-society-dated-at-delft" title="Letter, from Antoni van Leeuwenhoek to the Royal Society, dated at Delft" allow="fullscreen" frameborder="0" width="100%" height="500px"></iframe>

Related Records

Hierarchy

This item is part of:

Related Fellows

Explore the collection

  • Early Letters

    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.

    Dates: 1613 - 1740

    View collection