Papers of Ney Elias, 1857-1890, chiefly referring to Elias' career in China, Kashmir, Chinese Turkestan and with the Siamese Boundary Commission together with personal journals and drafts and the manuscripts and proofs of his book Tarikh-I-Rashidi. Nos. 1-12, 1873-1890; Nos. 13-23, drafts of letters and reports to the Government of India; Nos. 24-35, personal journals while at school in Dresden 1857-1860, 1867 and 1868 in China, 1880 Yarkand, 1885-1886 Pamir journey, and 1889-1890 as a member of the Siamese Boundary Commission; Nos. 36-48, miscellaneous notes and drafts; Nos. 48-54, rough notes and correspondence; Nos. 55-56, drafts and notes relating to a book The History of the Khojas of Eastern Turkistan; calculations of altitudes, Sinkiang, 1887 and reductions of observations made in the Mongolian Republic, 1872-1873.

Journal of the scientific research voyage of HMS Challenger from 1872-1875. Illustrated with watercolours and line drawings. The typescript contains the text of the journal.

Papers of and relating to Percy Fawcett including 'The exploration of the Rio Aquiry', 1906-1907; letters to Reginald Pound, 1923 and to the editor of World Wide Magazine, 1923; report to the Royal Anthropological Institute, London, 15 Nov 1951, on some human remains brought from Brazil by Senor Chateaubriand and thought to be those of P. H. Fawcett; astronomical observations, Bolivia-Peru boundary and Bolivia-Brazil boundary, 1908-1910; 'The new frontier between Bolivia and Peru', 1910 and papers relating to the search for Col Fawcett.

Papers of Sir Percy Zachariah Cox, 1894-1906, comprise two journals describing expeditions to Somaliland in 1894 and 1898-1899; the folder contains correspondence on the later journey; two journals describing visits to Persian Gulf sites and routes into the interior of Oman (1902-1907).

Papers of R Charles Evans, 1953-1955, including observations on Everest expedition, 1953; angle book and camera record book, Everest expedition, 1953; field notebook from the New Zealand Alpine Club Himalayan expedition, 1954 and letter to Sir James Marshall-Cornwall, [1955].

Professor Robert Edward Dickinson's field diaries from America, 1931-1965 and Europe, 1931-1976.

Correspondence and other papers concerning the planning, personnel, equipment, expenditure, photographs, food and natural history collections of the expeditions to Mount Everest, 1921-1938, including a small notebook containing autographs of the porters of the 1924 expedition; printed leaflet: 'Joint Meeting of RGS and Alpine Club to receive reports of Mt Everest Expedition of 1924'; printed order of service for service held in memory of Mallory and Irvine; postcard sent by John Noel to Mrs Fielding, with Mt. Everest stamp, 1924; letter to the Dalai Lama to Brigadier General C.G. Bruce, 5 Nov 1922; passport issued by the Prime Minister of Tibet, with translation and seal, 1922; letter from the Dalai Lama to Major F.M. Bailey, 1 Jun 1922; Panwana issued by Prime Minister of Tibet to Dzongpens of Kampa etc. for provision of transport and supplies to Mt. Everest expedition; Prime Minister of Tibet’s order to Dzongpens and headmen of Phari etc, with translation and seal; unidentified Tibetan letter with envelope; printed booklet, 'Ascent of Everest' 1953 – the programme for the first performance of the film 'Conquest of Everest'; folder of correspondence relating to the Everest Map, 1957-1960, correspondents include Charles Evans, Norman Hardie, Erwin Schneider, J.C. Bartholomew, Gen R. Llewellyn Bowen, Professor R. Finsterwalder and H.F. Milne; notes describing the stones brought from Everest; letter from George Lowe to Lord Hunt, 29 Feb 1980 with comments on the finding of Maurice Wilson’s body by E. Shipton and Dan Bryant in 1935 and the press reports published March 1980 on a lady’s shoe and a body seen in later years; volume of newscuttings 1922-1923 on Mt. Everest; menu, signed by members of the 1933 expedition and reproduction of group photo of members; letters to Sir Christopher Summerhayes from members of the 1950s Everest expeditions, 1951-1954 and letters regarding the Times code; 9 items retrieved from the body of George Mallory by the 1999 Mallory and Irvine Research Expedition; 13 photographs; some taken by Doug Scott and others taken during official receptions for Hillary and Everest team, 1953-1954; programme for 'Conquest of Everest'; article from Punch, 29 May 1968 regarding Everest journalists' and souvenir menu card of a reception and luncheon of the King and Queen of Nepal in London, 18 Oct 1960 and related invitations and seating plans.

Papers relating to Robert Edwin Peary, 1903-1989, including report by Peary to the Peary Arctic Club, 'Field work of the Peary Arctic Club 1889-1902', 1903; letter to Ellis D Robb on the subject of Dr. F A Cook's Chautauqua lectures, 5 Mar 1912; summary of findings of the Navigation Foundation, 1989, recognising Peary as the first to the North Pole; Photostats of messages left at Cape Bourne in 1906 and 27 Letters written to Sir John Scott Keltie, 1892-1910.

Papers of Sir Richard Francis Burton, 1852-1880, comprise 'Proposed Somali expedition' 1855; Field notebook, east coast to Ujiji, 1858; Observations made at Ujiji, 1858; 'The Ukara or Ukerewe Lake', 1872; Log book containing entries made at Santos, Brazil, March to October 1868 and RGS Correspondence files: 61 letters written to the Society by Burton,1852-1880.

Papers of Capt Robert Falcon Scott including carbon copy of diary as leader of British Antarctic Expedition, Jan-Oct 1911; letters from Scott to Major L Darwin, 16 Sep 1909, Mr Moro, 28 Sep 1909, and Sir Edgar Speyer, 10 Dec 1910; collection of news cuttings, Feb 1913; 56 letters from Scott to the Royal Geographical Society, 1886-1910, chiefly relating to the National Antarctic and British Antarctic Expeditions; letters from wife and family, some written after Scott's death; notebook kept by J W Lovibond recording hair, eye and skin colour of members of the National Antarctic Expedition 1901-1904; letter from Norman Meikle telling of meeting many of the officers and crew of both Antarctic expeditions and an account of sending the cable to announce Scott's death, 23 Feb 1970; printed speech of Pubic Orator, Cambridge, 1905; slip of paper bearing Scott's signature; photostats of letters from Scott to Kathleen O'Reilly, 1899-1907; Order of Service for Altar Presentation from a church in Lyttelton New Zealand (at which Scott and other Antarctic parties worshipped) to the Scott Base, Antarctica, 6 May 1980; photo of the menu card of the Savage Club Dinner to Capt Scott, 5 Nov 1904 and plans of a polar camp, 1912.

Papers of Sir Robert Herman Schomburgk, 1832-1858, comprising letters, observations, journals of travel in South and Central America and South East Asia and papers relating to expeditions to Guyana, 1836-1838.

Schomburgk's journals including remarks to accompany a map the rivers Orinoco, Essequibo and Branco, South America, 1833; journal in Central America, notably on Anegada and Virgin Gorda, 1833; journal in Central America, 1834; journal in Central America, 1853 and journal in South East Asia, notably Siam and the voyage from Bangkok to Xieng mai and Maulmain, 1860.

Papers relating to expeditions to Guyana including reports on the first expedition into the interior of Guyana, 1836, and of an excursion to the Post at the mouth of the Cayuni with accompanying watercolour of the Post at Cayuni; report, diary and notes on the second expedition into Guyana, 1837 and account of expenses for the first and second expeditions and reports on third expedition into Guyana, 1837-1838, with accompanying watercolour.

Observation files including astronomical and meteorological observations, trigonometrical observations at Annay, notes on heights at which trees will grow and on the position of San Joachim, Guyana, 1835-1837.

Pencil sketches including of Indian ornaments found at Samana, of Haitians and ink and wash sketch of the town and harbour, St. Thomas, 1833; unpublished article 'On the originating causes and further development of hurricanes in the West Indies', 1833 and official and personal letters to Schomburgk, many written to him in his capacity as Secretary of the Society, 1892-1915, and letters from Sir John Scott Keltie.

Papers of Dr Richard Julius Cyriax, 1864-1969, comprise notes on Noel Wright, New light on Franklin (Ipswich, 1949) and Quest for Franklin (London, 1959) and notably include a critique on the book, in two volumes dated 17 July 1954 and photostat and MS copies of notebooks of Captain C F Hall's second Franklin Search Expedition, 1864-1869.

Observation files by Robert Lawrence Reid including two angle books, time book, astronomical observations and barometric readings, Anewimi region, 1905-1909. Journal MSS: 1902, 'Some explorations in Portuguese East Africa'.

Papers of Captain Robert McClure, 1836-1853, including journal, Jun 1836-Sep 1837, as mate on HMS TERROR, on George Back's second expedition in search of the North-West Passage; letter and order book, Dec 1849-Oct 1851; journal Jan-Sep 1850, while in command of HMS INVESTIGATOR on the Franklin search expedition; copies of despatches to the Admiralty, Aug 1850-Apr 1853; photocopy of record deposited on Banks Island, 1851 and copy of a letter to Sir George Back from HMS INVESTIGATOR, Apr 1853, describing the discovery of the Northwest Passage.

Papers of Richard Routley Adams Richards including diary on board HMS CHALLENGER, 1872-1876, Atlantic, Antarctic and Pacific oceans: seven volumes, illustrated with sketches; photographs including photographs taken during the voyage of the HMS CHALLENGER, notably Marion Island, Kerguelen Islands and Antarctic sea; four diaries, 1892-1894, Riviera and Carlsbad; and cartoons by Sub Lt Channer.

Papers of Robert Shedden made during his voyage on the NANCY DAWSON from London to the Bering Strait via Goa and Singapore, 1848-1849, including observations, chronometer ratings and calculations for positions.

Papers of Sir Ranulph Fiennes relating to the Trans Globe expedition of 1979-1982 including stores book containing planned sledge loads, plans for huts and lists of stores; photographs, including of polar training camp and the expedition ship 'Benjamin Bowring'; plan of sledge loads; photocopy of personal navigation notebook; Nautical Almanac, 1980 and 1982; maps including the planning map for the North West passage, map of Arctic showing route towards North Pole on preliminary expedition in 1977, and map used for the Antarctic crossing; typescript of To the Ends of the Earth by Fiennes and press cuttings.

Papers of Sir Allen William Young, 1857-1920, including ship's logs of the voyages of the PANDORA and the HOPE to the Arctic and the COROMANDEL and the MARLBOROUGH to India; journals kept on the FOX (the search for Sir John Franklin) and other voyages; nine scrapbooks of press cuttings entitled 'Shipping' and miscellaneous items.

Papers of Prof Stanley Henry Beaver, 1930-1980, including papers on European railways; draft chapters for The British Isles; notes for Admiralty Handbooks on the Netherlands East Indies; papers on housing and planning and papers on British sand and gravel resources.

Copies of the travel journals of Sir David Wedderburn, 1866-1892, including Vol 1: 1866, United States, Canada, Atlantic passages; Vol 1A: 1868, Ireland; 1873, France, Germany, Luxembourg; Vol 2: 1869, Hungary, Turkey, Syria, Palestine, Egypt; Vol 3: 1870-1871, France, Spain, Gibraltar; 1873, Algeria; Vol 3A: 1871-1872, France, Switzerland, Italy; Vol 3B: 1872-1873 Austria, Channel Islands; Vol 4: 1874, Ceylon. Australia; Vol 5: 1874, Australia, and New Zealand; Vol 6: (Missing); Vol 7: 1876-1877 India; Vol 8: 1877-1878, Ceylon, Java, China, Japan; Vol 9: 1877, Japan and USA, June 1878 Iceland; Vol 10: 1878 Denmark, Russia, Greece, Italy: Vol 11: 1880, Brittany, Ireland, Russia, Pyrenees; Vol 12: 1881-1882 South Africa and a 'Life Sketch' of Sir David Wedderburn 1835-1882, by D A Percival.

Papers of Sir George Back, 1814-1878, including c. 250 letters addressed to Sir George Back by various correspondents (listed by name), 1848-1878; personal letters from Back to his family, 1813-1878; photocopies of extracts from Back's sketchbook and slides of his sketches from 1819-1822 expedition to Arctic; passports and framed letter with sketches of polar bear, 1874.

Papers of Sir John Franklin, 1801-1847, chiefly relating to the ill-fated Franklin Expedition in search of the North-West Passage on HM Ships Erebus and Terror, 1845-1847, and the subsequent expeditions sent to search for survivors or relics of the expedition. Also, some earlier letters from Franklin mainly to relatives and letters from relatives to or about him. Some items relating to the bicentenary of Franklin's birth celebrated in 1986.

Photocopies of letters from African explorers, 1855-1892, including letters to C Geigler, Chief of Sudan Telegraphs at Khartoum, and to others, 1855-1892, from Samuel White Baker, Richard Francis Burton, Romolo Gessi, James Augustus Grant, David Livingstone, Charles Chaille Long, E Schnitzer (Emin Pasha) and Henry Morton Stanley; copies of letters from Colonel Charles George Gordon to Samuel White Baker and others, 1873-1884 and copies of letters of Lady Florentia Sale, 1842.

Papers of Sir Joseph Banks, 1788-1811, comprise microfilm, and enlarged prints from the microfilm, of papers held in the Sutro Collection, State Library of California concerning subjects including the Africa Association.

Papers of James Brant comprising a report of a journey through part of Armenia and Asia Minor, 1836, published in the Journal of the Royal Georgraphical Society vol 6; ten letters from Captain Washington and Colonel Jackson, (secretaries of the Royal Geographical Society) to Brant 1829-43; sketch map of disputed territory between 'Ghuriel' and 'Adjarah'. The collection also includes an impression of an RGS wax seal on an envelope, the only example of such a seal held within the archives.

Papers of James Bruce, 1750-1779, comprise seven letters, various dates, 1758-1789, which refer to personal affairs, except for the letter to Mr. Mackenzie from Tunis, 9 May 1766, which describes a journey in the hinterland of Tunis.

Papers of Arthur Douglas Carey, 1884-1935, comprise a diary of a journey in Ladak, Tibet, and Sinkiang, 25 May 1885 to 19 May 1886; two letters from John Biddulph to (H E M) James (who travelled part way with Carey), 2 June and 24 June 1884, giving advice on travel in Central Asia; four letters from Ney Elias to Carey 27 Sept 1885, 13 Nov 1885, 3 Sept 1886, 20 March 1886 and official correspondence to and from Carey concerning his journey.

Papers of Paul Belloni du Chaillu, 1864, comprise route notes, astronomical observations and calculations, Gabon, 1864; letter from Acra, 25 Aug 1863 and letter from Fernand-Vaz, 7 April 1864 reporting on journey to, and residence on, Fernand-Vaz river and library MSS letters, chiefly of a personal nature, to Sir George Black during the years 1848-1878.

Papers of M A Chambers, 1912-1913, comprise 'The lure of the Caucasus': sketches in prose and paint of travels under the old regime.

Papers of Bouverie F Clark, 1882, comprise a report on a visit to Easter Island and to Sala-y-Gomez Island, June 1882, in HMS SAPPHO, with a watercolour sketch, by Captain F P Doughty, of images on the slopes of Mount Topaz, Easter Island.

Papers of J M Clayton, 1910-1911, comprise a diary (not complete) of journey to Addis Ababa, 1910-1911; report and route report on the Anuak country; notes on routes from Addis to Dire Dawa; sketch maps of the Aronsie country and Lake Hora Abiata.

Papers of Lt E C Coleman, 1991, comprise an account of an expedition to King William Island to search for traces of the Franklin Expedition.

Papers of James Cook, 1774-1971, comprise a photograph of a letter to Captain John Walter of Whitby, 13 Sept 1774, describing his discoveries in the South Seas; photocopy of accounts for food purchased, headed 'Captain Cook on board the Resolution at Long Reach', June 8 1776 and correspondence, 1899-1937, relating to the Tahiti Memorial to Captain Cook.

Papers of Bolton Glanville Corney, 1903-1924, comprise manuscripts and corrected proofs for volumes edited by Corney for the Hakluyt Society; unpublished, edited transcripts of documents and articles including 'Sidelights on Captain Cook's call at Rio de Janeiro in HMS Endeavour' , 'The narrative of Te-ehe-te-Atua-o-noa', 'The career of the Harrington snow', notebook containing a Fijian vocabulary for medical officers; notes copied from a variety of sources relating to islands inlcuding Easter Island and the Falkland Islands.

Papers of Augustine Courtauld, 1930-1931, comprise two angle books, from the British Arctic Air Route Expedition to Greenland.

Papers of William Barents and Jacob van Heemskerk, 1871-1877, comprise a photocopy of record left by them on the island of Novaya Zemlya, in the Artic Circle, in 1597.

Papers of James Berry, 1879-1926 comprise a journal of a world tour via the Suez Canal, Colombo, Austrailia, New Zealand, Canada and include photographs of illustrations and text from the original manuscript. The collection also includes diaries, including one entitled 'My Journal 1892' and others dated 1879 and 1918-1926 and two annotated copies of the journal of a world tour.

Papers of G C Binsteed, 1913, comprise five journals of travel in Inner Mongolia with Captain Holme and in the Mongolian Republic, 1913. Translation by G C Binsteed of extracts from 'Report on a summer excursion into Mongolia in 1911'.

Papers of Vero Louis Bosazza, 1942-1980, comprise papers relating to his work as a geoglogist and include 'The identification of Daka na Moio island in the Shire river', 1969; 'Notes on the journal of Thomas Baines... April 3rd to September 17th 1858', 1970; 'Dr Livingstone's geological description omitted from the published version of Livingstone's African Journals, 1853-1856' (annotated transcipt, prepared from the original held by the National Archives of Rhodesia, 1973); 'David Livingstone, pilot and navigator', 1972 (two vols, typescript, fully annotated, maps, diagrams, tables, photographs and bibliography); 'The magnetic variations along the east coast of Africa, 1822-1969', 1972; ' Discussion on David Livingstone: a Mid-Victorian scientist by Dr D J Siddle', 1974; 'The Pioneer surveys in the Zambesi and Shire valleys and the mapping of Malawi', 1974; 'David Livingstone and his modern critics', 1975 (illustrated with maps, diagrams and photographs); 'Thomas Baines on the Zambesi', 1975. (Illustrated with maps and photograpghs); edited transcripts of: Antonio Jozi's 'Narrative of the proceedings of a small party ... July 1823 ... to explore the course of the river Zambesi' (Archives Library MSS.); and a letter from Thomas Maclear to David Livingstone, 11 July 1865 (Archives Special Collections: David Livingstone), 1976. Papers relating to southern Africa including: 'The Rev Robert Moffat's sextant', 1978; 'The grave of Herbert Rhodes on the Shire river, Malawi'; 1978.

Bourne and Tratman collection, 1897, comprises barometric and hypsometric observations, upper Yangtse Kiang, 1897 and correspondence from Tratman.

Observation files of Maj Seymour Vandeluer, 1893-1901, comprising observations on altitudes and bearings in Uganda, 1895 and observations on altitudes, meteorological observations and bearings, upper Nile and Sudan, 1899.

Papers of Sir Samuel White Baker including diaries (which include sketches) of expeditions to the Upper Nile between 1861 and 1873, and notes on hunting in Ceylon 1844-1853; cash book for 1869; observations taken in Central Africa, 1860-1873 and papers and letters to John Petherick (1863) and Mr Kerrison (1873).

Reports, observations, notes and photos of Canada by Thomas Henry Manning, 1936-1946, including descriptive report, Northern Manitoba and South-east Keewatin, 1945; descriptive report and technical report, east coast of Hudson's Bay, Ottawa Islands, etc., 1946 (duplicates of reports submitted to the Geodetic Service of Canada); astronomical observations, topological notes and rough sketch maps of Whale Point and surrounding area, 1936-1938.

Observation file of Capt Temple Leighton Phipson-Wybrants, Mozambique, 1880, comprising many pages of astronomical observations and calculations to establish latitude or logitude; some simple sketch maps of various locations; some references to Mr Coles' 'training instructions in the use of instruments, mapping, etc.'

Note or manuscript 'Record' left in an Arctic cairn by Surgeon R W Coppinger, 12 May 1876, while with the sledge party from HMS ALERT during that vessel's Arctic expedition. On the reverse of the note is a copy of an earlier 'Record' made by crew member of USS POLARIS, Capt S G Budington, 7 May 1872, reporting the progress of the POLARIS, including the death of Capt Charles Francis Hall, 8 Nov 1871. Presumably Coppinger retrieved the original record from the cairn, returned it to the US government and made a copy on the reverse of his own note to leave in the cairn.

Photocopies of refusal by Canadian Court to take action relating to Charles Francis Hall's alleged shooting of Patrick Coleman during a 1860s expedition to search for the explorer John Franklin, Oct-Dec, 1869, with covering letter from A G E Jones.

Papers Verney Lovett Cameron, 1872-1886, relate to the Livingstone Relief Expedition of 1873 and notably include: account books from 1872; correspondence about the preparation and progress of the Expedition, 1873-1875; a diary for October - December 1874; correspondence on funding the exhibition 1873-1881.

Papers of Vilhjamur Stefansson including photostats of records from the Arctic, 1851-1909, found by the Canadian Arctic expedition in 1917 on Banks and Dealy Islands and letters, chiefly on Stefansson's interest on Ogden's system of Basic English, 1926-1954.

William Harvey Hooper's journals as purser on HMS ALEXANDER, HMS HECLA, and HMS FURY, 1818-1825, and extracts from meteorological observations, on the John Ross and W E Parry expeditions in search of the Northwest Passage.

Papers of Capt William Shakespear, 1908-1915, including field notebooks on 'Kuwait tours' giving route and bearings, 1909-1913; observations in Kuwait, 1911; tour to Nejd and a single page with depths of desert wells, Kuwait hinterland, Mar-Apr, 1913; notes on route and bearings, Feb-May 1914; computations of aneroid observations, 1914; observations of the sun's meridian, 1911, 1913 and 1914; copies of letters and papers including the last letter from Shakespear to his brother, 14 Jan 1915.

Notebooks of Col Walter Hugh Jerrery containing rough notes, routes and daily entries on the journeys: Hong Kong to Miao Feng, 1902-1903; Bhamo (upper Burma) to Shanghai, 1905-1906 and various short expeditions from Sadiya in Assam, 1911-1912. Also passport in Chinese.