The Hunter Family Album, early- mid 20th century, comprising a scrapbook containing material relating to John and William Hunter. Including photographs, postcards, letters, drawings, paintings, press cuttings, manuscript notes, and extracts from journals. Subjects covered include Long Calderwood, where William and John Hunter were born; memorial statues, burials and John Hunter's reinterment; attendance at lectures; information relating to their work and their museums; information relating to their places of residence, for example, Windmill Street, Leicester Square, and Earl's Court; and information about the Hunter family.

Papers of George Perkins, 1908-1980, comprising 2 volumes containing correspondence, testimonials, and certificates relating to his education and professional life, 1908-1957; a folder containing photographs, a typescript, and correspondence relating to the Inaugural George Perkins Lecture, delivered by Professor Maurice Muller, (Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of Bern), at St Thomas' Hospital on 1 Oct 1971; a reprint of The Hugh Owen Thomas Memorial Lecture 1946, delivered in the Liverpool Medical Institution by George Perkins on 11 Jul 1946; an envelope containing 11 reviews for the book Orthopaedics, written by Perkins, 1961, and a review for the book Fractures and Dislocation, written by Perkins, 1953; a volume containing a photograph of Perkins, signed by his former colleagues and friends; 3 photographs of Perkins, 1927-1973; obituaries and letters of condolence addressed to George Perkins daughter, Elizabeth, 1980.

Papers of Hugh Owen Thomas, c 1857-1875, comprising a casebook, 1857-[1867]; a notebook containing drawings, 1875; correspondence with his wife, Elizabeth Thomas; and a volume of papers.

Papers of Sir Benjamin Brodie, 1816-c 1970, comprising manuscript notes by Brodie, for his lectures on Physiology, 1820-1823; Brodie's manuscript autobiography, c 1855; 2 typescript copies of Brodie's autobiography; 4 manuscript receipt books of fees paid to Brodie, 1816-1860; Brodie's prescription book, c 1850; manuscript letters including 7 letters to Dr W J Little, prescriptions, a letter of recommendation, and letters of admittance to the RCS Museum, c 1841-1859; manuscript notes of observations whilst inspecting the body of Mr Scott, 11 Sep 1811; map of Broome Park, former home of Brodie, c 1946; ephemera including notes and a photograph relating to Peter Martin, who attended Brodie in his last illness; a photocopy of a poem about Brodie from Punch, 1858; photographs of Brodie's gravestone; photographs of Brodie-related buildings and memorials, c 1970; and an undated diploma from Philadelphia, and a diploma from the University of Giessen, Germany, 1850.

Papers of Sir James Berry, 1888-1927, comprising medical notes titled Thyroid cases- History and Correspondence, for surnames WA-WIL and WIL-ZUP; drawings and notes relating to specimens in the museums of Charing Cross Hospital, Middlesex Hospital, St Marys Hospital, Westminster Hospital, St George's Hospital, Guy's Hospital, University Hospital, St Thomas's Hospital, King's College Hospital, Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, Bristol University and Bristol Royal Infirmary; pictures of cases of hare lip and cleft palate; medical notes titled Operations for goitres- Notes of cases 1-26; 126-1549; and manuscript notes and annotations of publications Hare-lip and cleft-palate (1912), and Diseases of the thyroid gland and their surgical treatment, (1901).

Papers of Lady Caroline Amelia Owen, c 1790-1835, comprising a letter from Joanna Baillie, 1831, including a transcript of a sonnet by William Wordsworth; a watercolour sketch of Keeper's House, Hyde Park, c 1790; a watercolour of execution dock, by William Clift, 1816; a pen and ink sketch of the opening of the theatre at the Royal College of Surgeons, by William Clift; a sketch of Caroline Clift by her father; a pencil portrait of Eugenius Roche, by William Home Clift, 1824; a printed caricature of Richard Owen lecturing, by Richard Doyle; a volume titled Select Sentences or a Collection of Moral Precepts by John Gregor, 1792; a pencil drawing of three pigs by 'R H'; a pen and ink sketch showing Oxford Street with placards referring to Owen's researches, by Robert Lee; an unfinished watercolour titled 'Sketch of church and castle, Lancaster, from my mother's house (the procession of the judges was to have filled the foreground)', by Richard Owen, 1835; a volume of French verse titled Envoi a Caroline by Eugenius Roche, 1829; a flyer for Mr Mears' Benefit at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, 25 Jun 1839; and a list of 'books consulted in the progress of the catalogue of the Gallery'.

Papers of Lord Berkeley George Andrew Moynihan, 1893-1936, comprising 45 volumes of case books, 1893-1936; 22 volumes relating to private operations, 1908-1935; 7 volumes relating to private operations in London, 1927-1935; 1 notebook relating to London patients, 1920-1922; 2 volumes relating to records of pathological researches, 1921-1923; press cuttings relating to euthanasia, 1924-1936; 2 albums of tributes to Moynihan, 1936; press cuttings relating to Moynihan, 1908-1930; scrap book relating to Moynihan, c1913-1934; miscellaneous material including photographs of Moynihan, letters, lecture notes, testimonials and articles, c1913-1934; album of newspaper cuttings relating to Moynihan, Sep 1934- Aug 1936; album of newspaper cuttings relating to Moynihan, Sep 1930- Jul 1934; and 47 diplomas awarded to Moynihan, 1886-1935.

Papers of Sir John Bland-Sutton, 1799-1940, comprising 9 volumes of diaries relating to the operations of private patients, 1921-1929; 13 volumes of appointment diaries, 1921-1934; an address book containing notes and press cuttings relating to Bland-Sutton, archaeology, astronomy, and medicine, c 1928-1933; volume titled Principles of Doll Surgery with manuscript additions. Including a printed page relating to the books in the Queen's dolls house, and a letter (with a copy of his reply) from Princess Marie-Louise relating to publishing a book about the books in the Queen's dolls house library; manuscript of The Story of a Surgeon (first published 1930), with author's corrections; manuscript drafts and published copies of articles on Joan Proctor, eunuchs, Lord Lister, angler fish, robber crabs and antler cutting, c 1931; papers and press cuttings relating to Bland-Sutton's publications, 1929-1933; financial records, 1929-1932; notes from Bland-Sutton to Victor Plarr, and other librarians of the RCSEng, relating to books and periodicals in the College library, 1892-1918; a letter relating to a monkey with rickets, 10 Jan 1916; press cuttings and obituaries relating to Bland-Sutton, 1936; a drawing and biography of Bland-Sutton from the Vanity Fair series 'Men of the Day no.1214'; a visitors book from 47 Brook Street, including a poem by Rudyard Kipling, 1905-1932; visitors book from Villa Vita, a gift from the Kiplings, 1935-1940; friends and family photograph album, 1903-1938; family photograph album including Persia, Egypt and Near-East, portraits, statues and the Persian Court, c 19th century; approximately 50 unidentified photographs, c 19th century; photograph and papers relating to Miss Ada Heather Bigg (elder sister of Edith Bland-Sutton), 1874-1879; and a collection of autograph letters including Viscount Horatio Nelson, Sir George Smyth Baden-Powell, and Sir Frederick Treves, 1799-1918.

Working papers and correspondence of Sir Francis (Franz) Eugene Simon. Scientific notebooks in the collection date from 1919-1934, largely the period of Simon's researches on low temperature physics at the Physikalisch-Chemisches Institut of Berlin University, and subsequently at Breslau. Other notes and manuscripts for lectures and articles are post 1930, while a large group of correspondence files are from the years 1922-1956, providing a full account of Simon's dealings with many fellow scientists and scientific organisations. Individual letter files concern V.M. Goldsmidt, Max Born, Gwyn Owain Jones and Nevill Mott among many other notable figures. Details of Simon's involvement in atomic energy development are to be found in papers on uranium isotope separation (MAUD Committee notes) and UK Atomic Energy Authority correspondence. Simon's professional appointments as head of the Clarendon Laboratory and as science correspondent to the Financial Times are represented by substantial groups of letters. There are twelve notebooks with some associated papers; the series also includes files of lectures, articles, cuttings and souvenirs, including photographs, with files of correspondence. Two later additions to the collection consist of correspondence and files highlighting Simon's contacts with industrial firms, universities and international organisations.

The correspondence, papers and scientific notebooks of Sir George Lindor Brown. The majority of notebooks relate to the investigations of Brown and his co-workers (notably Feldberg, Harvey and Maycock) at the National Institute for Medical Research, Hampstead, into neuromuscular transmission. The correspondence and remaining papers cover Brown's administrative work in the decades from the 1950's. His relationships with the Royal Society and the Medical Research Council are well represented. The papers include personal files, correspondence with institutions and individuals, working scientific notes and sets of slides.

Extensive papers of Howard Walter Florey, Baron Florey, relating to almost every aspect of his career in science and public life. The scientific materials include a complete run of laboratory notebooks, 1924-1968, files on the work for which Florey is best known, penicillin and antibiotics, 1940-1962, together with papers, research notes and photographs on mucus secretion, traumatic shock and electron microscopy. Florey's writings are preserved in the form of drafts and proofs of published items, together with relevant correspondence. His correspondence indicates the depth of his involvement in the affairs of particular organisations, notably the Oxford University School of Pathology and the Royal Society. The work of Ethel Florey (née Hayter) and Margaret Augusta Florey (née Fremantle) is also present.

Portrait photographs of Fellows of the Royal Society by the Godfrey Argent Studio.

Portrait photographs of Fellows of the Royal Society by companies of Henry Maull, namely: Maull and Polyblank; Maull, Henry and Co; Maull and Co; Maull and Fox.

Working papers and correspondence of Sir John Henry Gaddum. The scientific material in the collection centres on a run of student and laboratory notebooks for 1922-1965, together with files of notes and calculations on biological assay and other topics. Further papers concentrate on Gaddum's teaching and publications in the form of lecture scripts, typescripts of articles and related correspondence. Material on his administrative work includes correspondence on conferences and organizations, with some Royal Society papers, but also Physiological Society letters, 1936-1941. Non-paper records such as slides and personal souvenirs are also preserved.

The working drawings of John Smeaton, civil engineer. They illustrate his researches on waterwheels and applied mechanics, and the relative efficiency of overshot as opposed to undershot wheels. With supplementary engravings and manuscript notes.

A volume of botanical paintings, many of which have been used in the botanical works of John Martyn, especially in his 'Historia Plantarum Rariorum'.

Letters, papers and original drawings including the manuscripts of Marcello Malpighi's works published by the Royal Society.

Robinson's volatile temperament and his impatience with administration and routine have seriously affected the survival of material. Thus little survives of his correspondence which he usually wrote in longhand and without copies, or of his public life, service on committees, advisory boards, learned societies, and in the launching of new journals. There are, however, many manuscript notes in varying lengths of sequence and a few notebooks relating to research topics. Examples are a sequence of ideas on the possible structure of strychnine, tentatively dated 1945-1947 by J.W. Cornforth, and from a later period two relatively extensive sequences of research and correspondence, on the origins of petroleum and on drug research. Lacunae in the collection are to some extent compensated for by the autobiographical material. There are the background material and corrected proofs for the first volume of his memoirs published in 1976, and substantial typescript drafts of the second volume which was unfinished at his death together with narratives, correspondence and photographs sent to him by colleagues. There are also tape-recordings of conversations with colleagues covering similar types of recollections.

Photographs, mainly covering the period 1940s-1980s, including black and white and colour prints, contact strips, negatives, glass plates, and slides. These document the exteriors and interiors of school and college buildings, both during construction and after completion, and include images of furniture and equipment, and of activities in schools; microfilms of plans and drawings; some related papers such as plans, schedules, notes and correspondence.

Papers of Brenda Francis, 1930s-1980s, comprising a large collection of photographs of domestic science, home economics, needlework, cookery, child care and homecraft teaching in London schools, possibly compiled as a reference collection intended for the use of teachers; minutes, circulated papers and reports of the United Kingdom Federation for Education in Home Management, 1954-1962; some printed material about home economics education.

Photographs: Large collection of photographs of domestic science, home economics, needlework, cookery, child care and homecraft teaching in London schools and other educational institutions such as open-air schools and teachers centres from the 1930s to the 1980s, possibly compiled as a reference collection intended for the use of teachers;

Publications: Printed material about home economics education, including works published by the ILEA, booklets published by the International Federation of Home Economics, relating to the 10th and 12th international congresses, regulations on teaching domestic education in 19th and 20th century, a publication of the Administration of Home Economics Education in Finland, a reference pack for teachers of pupils of ESN(s) [Severely educationally sub-normal] schools, and a work published by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.;

Minutes and Papers: Relating to the meetings, activities and correspondence of the United Kingdom Federation for Education in Home Management.

Materials used by Dorothy Glynn in her educational work, comprising 45 colour slides of classroom and other activities in primary schools, [1955-1965].

Two volumes of handwritten memoires describing the life of Amelia Archer on the Pampas in detail. There are 7 photographs of family groups and six postcards of scenes in the Pampas and at Punta Arenas held, also correspondence with Reading Museum, in a separate envelope.

Miscellaneous papers, largely photocopies relating to the Award of the Argentine-Chile Boundary Court of Arbitration, 1966: these include drafts of the report, submissions and other material from the two parties, photographs and maps of the disputed area. The sixth folder contains Sir L Kirwan's personal impressions of the field mission.

Journals, charts and other papers relating to A H Ninnis' commission as purser in SS AURORA on the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition, 1914-1916 and the Relief Expedition, 1916-1917.

The papers include diaries of the Imperial Trans-Antarctic expedition, 23 Dec 1914-12 Feb 1917, with a single volume typescript summary of the diaries; notebook entitled 'The Log of Taroona Camp, H E Wild and A H N with the 26 and stores for dog teams' including notes of equipment and stores for the dog teams; list of the dogs' names and a journal headed 'RMS Ionic, Hobart, Ocean Quay', 31 Oct-24 Dec 1914; copies of letters from Ninnis including to Ernest Shackleton, 6 Jan-5 Feb 1920 and to John Lachlan Cope, 9 Jun 1920; press cuttings, 1919-1920; papers reviewing Antarctic exploration achieved and proposals for another expedition under J L Cope in TERRA NOVA, for 1923; printed prospectus of Cope's Antarctic expedition; Ninnis' certificate of discharge made out at Wellington, New Zealand, Feb 1917; three large charts titled 'Map of the Antarctic East Longitude 150°-180° showing drift of SY Aurora', 1931 (the three are similar but two have small insets of landscape sketches); small chart entitled 'Map of the Bay of Whales', from a survey by Blackburn and Coman, Byrd Antarctic expedition, 1929-1930, with a second sketch map showing the route of Byrd's polar flight; three volumes of uncorrected typescript of High Latitude by J K Davis.

Papers relating to the Royal Geographical Society Map Room, Library and Drawing Office, 1856-1973, including Map Room reports, 1856-1959; Map Room accounts, 1933-1967; Library reports, 1913-1958; memoranda; correspondence; proofs of maps, memorandum on photograph room and lantern slides catalogue, 1913-1914; catalogue of photograph collection, 1869-1920; and papers and correspondence relating to the committee on map storage, 1954.

Papers of Baron A von Humboldt, 1783-1848, including letter from Paris, May 1835, to Francois Arago; facsimile of a letter from Sans Souci, 12 Aug 1848, to A K Johnston and five small geographical drawings, done at the age of 16 years.

Papers of Sir Charles Frederick Arden-Close, 1934-1944, comprise a copy of 'The International Congress of Geography', Warsaw, 1934; three scrapbooks of letters, notes and memos from 1927-1930, the period when Close was President of the RGS; one volume of papers on the Anglo-German Nyasaland/Tanganyika Boundary Commission, 1898; proof of a review written by Close for Nature on the RGS publication of English county maps, 1933; bound volume of printed papers, news cuttings and a photo of the 'centenary meeting' showing Close and the Prince of Wales all marking the centenary celebrations of the RGS, 1930; bound diary illustrated with photographs of the survey of the Niger Kamerun Boundary, 1895 and papers referring to the National Atlas Project 1940-1941.

Pre-publication duplicated typescript, by C G C Martin entitled 'Malawi - A study of maps and surveys'.

Papers of Fridtjof Nansen, 1890-1930, including letters to Mrs Tweedie, 1 May 1892, answering her questions about himself; sketches by A E Boyd and H M Paget of Nansen at the Royal Societies Club in Feb 1897; sketch of polar bear made by Nansen in 1927; proposal by Sir Clements Markham for a grant to Nansen put to the Council of the Royal Geographical Society, 1892; remarkd by G H Richards on Nansen's paper read before the Geographical Society of Norway, Feb 1890; paper by Nansen, 1892; typescript introduction to Nansen's Farthest North; description of Nansen's reception at Rouen, 10 Aug 1903, by George Yonflier and two letters from Nansen to Sir Napier Shaw, 30 Dec 1929 and 30 Jan 1930.

Papers of Ethel Gertrude Woods, 1921-1985, including a typescript of 'Scenery, its nature and origin' (confused pagination, approx 350 pp), unpublished; 87 watercolour and black and white sketches and diagrams prepared by Miss K Chandler Thomson as illustrations; note on the author; covering letter from donor, William Skeat (nephew) and other correspondence concerning the MS with Dr Joby of the Open University, 1985.

Papers of Col George Adam Beazeley with photographs and maps interspersed throughout including papers relating to Kashmir; papers entitled "My experiences", 1900-1901 and "My Somaliland Diary".

Papers of Gertrude Caton-Thompson, 1935-1985, comprise artwork including preliminary drawings of maps, an offprint of an article 'Lake Moeris, re-investigations and some comments' by G Caton Thompson, E W Gardner and S A Huzayyin from Bulletin de l'Institut d'Egypte, T. XIX, 1936-1937 and photocopy of article 'Recent geological work in the Faiyun...' by O H Little from Bulletin de l'Institut d'Egypte, T. XVIII 1935-1936; aerial photo taken autumn 1938 by US pilot prospecting for oil, showing drainage pattern on edge of high plateau between Mukalla and Wadi Hadhramaut; Watercolour by Edith Hughes of the Fayum depression and preliminary drawing of map/sections of Wadi 'Amd at Hureidha, prepared for plate LXXII in the book Tombs and Moon Temple of Hureidha published in 1944.

Papers of Rev George Grenfell including two letters to the Rev Lawson Forfeitt from Birmingham 9 Aug 1901 and from Lualaba river, 24 May 1903 and two notebooks containing sketches for a map of the Congo, its tributaries and Lake Leopold, 1886-1888.

Papers of George Holland including cartographer's notebooks and correspondence with Brian Moser, 1962, about a map of the Rio Piraparana.

Papers of Sir Harry Johnston including diary of an expedition, Rio del Ray, Cameroon, 1887, with four printed maps of the region attached; sketch and notebook, Nyasaland, 1893; sketch book, North Africa and photocopied correspondence of Johnston with members of his family, 1866-1926 and copies of six portrait photographs of Johnston.

Papers of Maj H W C Meyer-Griffith, 1914-1915, including 22 sketches of campaign in the Cameroons, May 1915; Diary of an army officer [probably Meyer-Griffith] accompanying the column in the Cameroons, Nov 1914- May 1915 and press cuttings from the Scottish Chronicle describing Meyer-Griffith's death, 1915.

Papers of John Frederick Baddeley, 1859-1926, including description of a journey from Aigun to Tsitsikar in 1910; papers on the Amoor [sic] railway; material for a book on the Amoor river; papers relating to the Russian Far East; a book in Russian "Journey on the Amur" published in 1859 and a small notebook containing hand-drawn maps of the river.

Letters and articles by various authors relating to maps and map making, sent to the Royal Geographical Society for publication in its Journals, 1830-1952. The articles were often sent to referees and their reports are often to be found with the article, in some cases the referee report has been retained even though the article has been returned to the author.

Papers of John Thomas Baines including manuscript descriptions of four lithographs of South Africa; photocopies of two letters to Thornton, one dated 1859; typed list of 288 paintings owned by the RGS; catalogue and booklet of exhibitions of 1975; topographical notes of journey west from Zambesi and diary, May 1869-April 1870, missing since 1968.

Papers of Sir Kenneth Mason on the Himalayas including copy of his journal on the Shaksgam expedition, 1926; copy of letter from Mason to F V Thompson, Mussoorie about a stereo plotter used in India, 3 May 1914; correspondence, 1927-1940 on the Karakoram map; calculation of rectangular co-ordinates for Shaksgam stereographic survey by A R Hinks and cuttings from the Geographical Journal relating to the Himalayas, 1927-1935.

Library Manuscripts comprise manuscript items donated to the Royal Geographical Society. They are chiefly single files or a small number of items which are not large enough to warrant forming a special collection. The papers include, astronomical and meteorological observations, diaries, correspondence, notes, conference papers, reports, articles, photographs, sketches and maps covering all aspects of geography and exploration across the globe and date from 1691 to 1994. Highlights include:

Memorandum on a map of South America, by John Arrowsmith.

Papers of Maj R A Bagnold, 1929-1933, comprising positions, routes and heights in Egypt and letters from Bagnold.

Letters from Sir John Barrow to Lord Melville, 1935-1945 and letters to Barrow from Murzuq, 1822 and J D Dundas, 1818.

Papers of Dr Heinrich Barth, 1846-1952, letters and copy of a sketch map of Timbuktu.

Notes on heights of mountains in America by Capt F W Beechey, 1826.

Letters from the King of Siam to Sir John Bowring, 1855.

Letters relating to the British Arctic Air Route Expedition, 1928-1932.

Correspondence and reports of the British Ornithologists' Union Expedition to New Guinea, 1908-1911.

Papers of G Wyman Bury, 1913-1918.

Papers of Capt R F M Crozier, 1836-1906.

Account of a journey to Lhasa and central Tibet by Sarat Chandra Das, 1902.

Papers of Lt James Barker Emery, chiefly relating to Mombassa, 1822-1835.

Plan and elevation of the Screw Yacht FRAM as reconstructed in 1898.

'Narrative of a small party of HMS LEVEN under command of Lt C W Browns sent to explore the Zambesi by one of the survivors, a native of Angola', by Antonio Jozi, 1823.

Journal of Joseph Kaye's voyage from London to Genoa.

Papers and maps relating to William Kennish's exploration in South America for a canal route.

Papers relating to the Kufara expedition led by H W C J Penderel and P A Clayton to Gilf Kebir, 1933.

Papers relating to the Livingstone Award, 1875-1970.

H B Molesworth's diary of a journey to Mokalla (Mukalla), 1893.

Letters from Sir John Morrison to Henry Dundas and others concerning Persia and trade with Persia, 1783-1792.

Narrative of a shipwreck on the southern shores of Arabia by B A R Nicholson, 1836.
Correspondence of Walter Oudney, 1821-1823.

Papers of Adm Sir W E Parry, relating to the Arctic, 1819-1823.

Papers relating to the Pitcairn Islands, 1831-1885.

Annotated 'Code of Naval Signals' belonging to Adm Sir Home Popham, 1799.

Letter from Sultan Husain Sufrari, 1708.

Account of explorations on the coast of Patagonia by B Villarino, 1782.

Travel journals of J Washington, chiefly in South America, 1822-1829.

Letters to A F R Wollaston, 1896-1926.

Papers of Michael Corbet Andrews, 1909-1934, comprising notes, photographs, tracings and drawings made by M C Andrews from 1909-1934. They refer to early cartographers, calendars, calendar staves, medieval and Sixteenth Century maps of the world with particular attention to the placenames of Scotland and Ireland. This collection notably includes calendars and almanacs; calendars including notes on lunar notations; correspondence notably concerning maps and calendars; descriptive notes on the work of cartographers; tracings and photographs of medieval maps; maps inlcuding Higden maps; photographs and photostats including maps of British Islands and Scotland. The collection also includes portolan charts and some County and medieval maps.

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 Robert Ernest Cheesman, 1921-1927, comprise sketch maps; notes on survey positions and altitudes, Abbai River, Abyssinia; correspondence, 1925-27; astronomical observations and meteorological notes made at oases in the eastern Najd, Arabia, 1923-24; extracts from diary; topographical sketches; astronomical observations; notes on vocabulary, 'Ojair to Salwa', Arabia, 1921.

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 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 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 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.

Sketch of a dodo by Sir Peter Scott, made at RGS, 1958.

Papers of The British Association for the Advancement of Science, 1865-1952, comprise committee Minute Book of Section E (Geography and Ethnology), 1865-1873; correspondence of the geodetic committee of Section A, 1917-1919; minutes and correspondence of a committee for the making of a popular map of the British Isles, 1921-1947; minutes, notes and correspondence of the geographical glossary committee, 1950-52; photocopies of papers resulting from the work of a committee appointed in 1947 to 'collect of the revival of Geography in the British Isles dating from the later years of the nineteenth century'. (The papers provide biographical details about academic geographers.)