The David Livingstone Collection.

A collection of autograph letters and articles, one small watercolour, copies of letters to various correspondents, a notebook of astronomical observations and many letters and copies of letters from relations, friends and the Foreign Office referring to Livingstone. The collection has been grouped into five sections, and as far as practicable, filed in chronological order. 1. Documents concerning the period 1850-52, (9 items). 2. Documents of 1853-57 principally concerning the expedition to Loanda Linyanti and the Victoria Falls, (76 items). 3. Documents of 1858-65 concerning the expedition to the Shire, Zambesi and Lake Nyasa, (54 items). 4. Documents of 1865-73 concerning Livingstone's last expedition, (60 items). 5. Small group of miscellaneous papers referring to the death and funeral of Livingstone, (11 items). The Society's Library holds further material relating to Livingstone; the Map Room holds 9 manuscript maps drawn by Livingstone, 1853-61; and a number of relics which either belonged to the explorer (e.g. sextant, compass, chair, cap worn at his meeting with H. M. Stanley) or were connected with him(e.g. slave chains brought from Africa by Livingstone, a section of the tree under which Livingstone's heart was buried. See also separate Collections in the RGS Archives: Livingstone Award and Livingstone Memorial Correspondence.

1. Documents concerning the period 1850-52, including a letter from Livingstone to W.C.Oswell dated from Kuruman Sept 20 1852 which contains an account of the activities of the Boers around Kuruman and towards Sechele and copies of letters, 1850-51, to the London Missionary Society. (9 items)

2. Documents of 1853-57 principally concerning the expedition to Loanda Linyanti and the Victoria Falls. These include, 10 letters from Livingstone in Africa, 1853-56, reporting to the R.G.S. on the progress of the expedition, the discovery of the Victoria Falls etc. (long extracts from these letters were published by the R.G.S.); a letter dated? Aug 25 1856 to the Editor of the 'Athenaeum' discussing 'easy chair versus field geography'; 18 letters from English addresses, January 1857 to February 1858 to Dr. Norton Shaw (the Society's Secretary) in which Livingstone asks for information on the mouth of the Zambesi,requires a copper boat, comments on his book,maps,family matters, the London Missionary Society etc.; copies of letters from Livingstone to E. Gabriel from Cassange February 14 1855, to Mr. Sturge from Tette December 11 1858 and to Mr. Layard from Bombay September 28 1865. (76 items)

3. Documents of 1858-65 concerning the expedition to the Shiré, Zambesi and Lake Nyasa. These include,8 letters from Livingstone in Africa 1860-64, to Sir Roderick Murchison and Dr. Norton Shaw at the R.G.S. reporting on the progress of the expedition (extracts from these letters were published by the R.G.S.); a small watercolour of the Victoria Falls; a report on the navigation of the Zambesi; an article in which Livingstone summarises proceedings of the Expedition and activities of Universities Mission (probable date Jan 1862); letters from Mary Livingstone to Dr. Norton Shaw, 1858 and 1860; copies of 19 letters from Livingstone to Macgregor Laird, the Foreign Office, Sir Thomas Maclear, E. Gabriel, the Rev. A. Monk, 1858-62. (54 items)

4. Documents of 1865-1873 concerning Livingstone's last expedition. These include 3 letters from Livingstone, to Sir Roderick Murchison February 2 1867 (published by the R.G.S.) to Sir Thomas Maclear July 8 1868, to Sir Henry Rawlinson dated from South Central Africa 1873 (probably written in early April, and the last known communication addressed by Livingstone to any official of the R.G.S.); a notebook of astronomical observations 1872-73; a collection of news cuttings of 1872 about Livingstone and H.M.Stanley; copies of 17 letters from Livingstone to the Foreign Office, Sir Bartle Frere, Dr. John Kirk Sir Roderick Murchison and Mr. Seward; letters of Dr. John Kirk, H.A.Churchill and others communicating news and rumours about Livingstone. (60 items)

5. Small group of miscellaneous papers referring to the death and funeral of Livingstone. (11 items)

Apart from this collection the Archives also contain 6 letters from Livingstone to Sir George Back, 1856-60(Back Collection); typescripts of 4 letters from Livingstone to Heinrich Barth (Barth correspondence 1851-60); typescripts of six letters from Livingstone to Mrs. Sewell 1847-52 and of a letter to the 2nd Duke of Wellington, 1860 (Library Y 224.11); papers relating to the several Search and Aid Expeditions and some letters from contemporaries referring to Livingstone.

The R.G.S. Library holds further material relating to Livingstone: a prayer book which belonged to him, news cuttings, photostat copies of Livingstone's journal of 1853-56 and copies of Livingstone's despatches to the Foreign Office 1870-72.

DL 6 Photostat copies of Livingstone's 1853-56 expedition: 2 boxes

DL 7 Diploma awarded to DL by Int. Congress at Antwerp, 1871

DL 8 Scrapbook of newscuttings re DL and HMS (possibly owned by Livinstone?)

Photocopying subject to the condition of each item and completion of an 'application for copies' form. No reproduction or publication without permission of the RGS-IBG.

Access is via the Society's Foyle Reading Room and is free to Members and Fellows of the Society and to those in formal education (proof of educational status required e.g. a student/staff card or formal letter of introduction from your institution). For all other visitors a & #163;10 daily access fee applies. All visitors are required to provide personal i.d. such as a driving licence or passport.

See DNB CD-ROM Version 1.1, 1995 Oxford University Press.