Earth Sciences Library

Collections

The library contains the following collections (subjects are in brackets)

Natural History Museum Earth Sciences Library Collection
The Library contains three distinct collections of international importance, incorporating regional geological collections. In addition to printed books and serials, the collections include manuscripts, maps, photographs, microforms, artwork and ephemera. *Mineralogy, covering most areas in the discipline from the 16th century to present day. Significant works and collections include those by William Hamilton, Philip Rashleigh, Francois Louis Desfontaines Swebach, James Sowerby, Georgius Agricola, James Dwight Dana and Arthur Russell.The Library holds the renowned photograph collection from the Challenger Expedition (1872 – 1876) and the library of John Murray, naturalist on the voyage. *Anthropology, relating to physical and biological anthropology and human evolution. The Library holds manuscript material relating to the Piltdown hoax, including papers by Joseph Weiner and Kenneth Oakley and reconstruction drawings by Maurice Wilson. *Palaeontology, dating from the 16th century to the present day. Significant works include those by Gideon Mantell, Georges Cuvier, Charles Lyell, James Hutton, Henry De La Beche, Roderick Murchison and William Buckland.The collection includes important material relating to women in the history of geology, such as Dorothea Bate, Mary Anning and Elizabeth Gray. *We also hold significant art collections (both original work and prints) including items by Benjamin Waterhouse Hawkins, Neave Parker and Richard Owen and a large collection of geological maps with worldwide coverage. These range from the 19th century (including William Smith) to the 21st century. ,
(Anthropology, Crystallography, Earth sciences, Geology, History of science, Minerals, Natural history, Palaeontology, Science)