About the Collection

This collection of correspondence, written mostly to Sir Joseph Banks (1743–1820), provides insight into the history of science, natural history, Sir Joseph Banks' life, Iceland, and early travel and world exploration. A British explorer and naturalist who, as long-time president of the Royal Society, London, circumnavigated the globe with Lieutenant James Cook on HMS Endeavour, 1768–1771, taking with him a team of naturalists, illustrators, and assistants. He made unprecedented collections of flora and fauna from many parts of the world. Banks also led the first British scientific expedition to Iceland in 1772. The collection also contains letters, notes, and memoranda written by Banks during this expedition. The materials range from 1772 to 1818. The original materials, including hand-written correspondence, are housed in Special Collections at UW Memorial Library. Because the collection contains handwritten material it is, unfortunately, not full-text searchable at this time.