Joseph Banks Research Project

Correspondence of the explorer and naturalist Sir Joseph Banks (1743-1820).

Academie des Sciences, Paris ADS

Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia ANSP

Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Wellington ATL

Althorp Manuscripts, Northants Althorp MS

American Philosophical Society, Philadelphia APS

Ann Arbor MS A. Arbor MS

Annals of Agriculture and other useful Arts AA

Aukland Institute and Museum AM

Aukland Public Library APL

Bathurst Manuscripts, Cirencester Bathurst MS

Bibliotheque Municipale, Versailles BMV

Birmingham Assay Office BAO

Birmingham University Main Library BUML

Bodleian Library, Oxford BLOx

Boston Public Library, Boston, Mass. BPLM

British Library BL.A.MS

British Museum (Natural History) BMNH

British Museum (Natural History) Botany Library BMNHBL

Buckinghamshire Record Office, Aylesbury BRO

Cambridge University Library CUL

Christ's College Library, Cambridge CCLC

Christie's Auctioneers, London CAL

Communications to the Board of Agriculture CBA

Derbyshire Record Office DRO

Edinburgh University Library EUL

Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge FMC

Halliday Booksellers Leicester, Catalogue Halliday

Hawley Manuscripts, Mareham le Fen Hawley MS

Hereford Record Office, Hereford HRO

Historical Records of Australia HRA

Historical Records of NSW HRNSW

Imperial College Archives, London ICA

India Office Library, London IOL

Keele University Library, Staffs KUL

Kent County Archives Office, Maidstone KCAM

Kungl. Biblioteket, Stockholm, Sweden KBS

Letters and Papers of the Bath and West of England Society LPBS

Library of Congress, Manuscript Division, Washington DC LCMD

Lincolnshire Record Office, Lincoln LROL

Linnean Society, London LRL

Maggs Brothers, Ltd., Dealers, London MBL

McGill University Department of Rare Books, Montreal MUDRB

Mitchell Library, Sydney ML

Montagu Manuscripts Montagu MS

Musee National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris MNHN

National Library of Australia, Canberra NLC

National Library of Scotland, Edinburgh NLS

National Library of Wales, Aberystwyth NLW

National Maritime Museum NMM

National Register of Archives, Scotland, Edinburgh NRAS

New York Historical Society, New York NYHS

New York Public Library, Rare Books and Manuscripts Division NYPL

Phillips, Son and Neal, Auctioneers PHIL

Pierpoint Morgan Library, New York PML

Pownall Manuscripts, Steep Petersfield, Hampshire Pownall MS

Princeton University Library, New Jersey PUL

Public Record Office, Kew, London PRO

Quaritch (Dealers), London QUA

Rothamsted Experimental Station, Harpenden RES

Royal Archives, Windsor Castle RAW

Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, London KewBC

Royal College of Physicians, London RCP

Royal College of Surgeons, London RCS

Royal Geographical Society, London RGS

Royal Horticultural Society, London RHS

Royal Institution of Great Britain, London RIGB

Royal Society of Arts, London RSA

Royal Society, London RS

Sandwich Manuscripts, Mapperton House, Dorset Sandwich MS

Sinclair Manuscripts, Thurso Castle, Caithness Sinclair MS

Sotheby Parke Bernet (Auctioneers), London Soth

Stockholm University Library Banks Manuscripts Stockholm Univ Banks MSS

Sutro Library, Banks Manuscripts SL Banks MS

Sutro Library, California State Library, San Francisco SL

The Farmers Journal FJ

The Gentlemans Magazine GM

Trinity College Library, Cambridge TCLC

University Library of Uppsala, Sweden ULU

University of London Library, London ULL

University of Manchester, John Rylands University Library UMJRL

University of Reading, General Library URGL

University of St Andrews Library, Scotland UStAL

University of Yale UY

University of Yale, Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library UYBRBL

University of Yale, Sterling Library UYSL

Victoria and Albert Museum, London VA

Wellcome Institute for the History of Science WIHS

West Suffolk Record Office, Bury St Edmunds WSRO

The Banks Research Project is an independent research project to survey, catalogue, transcribe and publish in volumes the scattered correspondence of Sir Joseph Banks (1743-1820). Registered Charity: Number 1078352.

The Banks Research Project has no rights or permissions over the papers it has surveyed, and, in many cases, does not hold copies of them. It was not possible to edit or correct this catalogue before it was contributed to A2A, and as a consequence there will be inconsistencies. Such inconsistencies have arisen in the course of a long survey in which numerous workers have separately entered letters, and when, in many cases, copies and drafts have subsequently come to light. Editing has not yet taken place.

The Project cannot accept responsibility for any difficulties that might arise.

The Joseph Banks Research Project is an independent charity, number 1078352, which is reconstructing the scattered correspondence of the explorer and naturalist Sir Joseph Banks (1743-1820). During his lifetime, Banks's correspondence, and its associated papers, provided a well-organized working resource for the many activities he engaged in. These were chiefly directed toward promoting science and exploration, and acting as a patron to the sciences more generally. Based at 32 Soho Square from 1777, and, in the following year, being elected President of the Royal Society, Banks was in a privileged position to organise or otherwise assist in most of the major scientific enterprises launched in this period. It was at 32 Soho Square that he gathered an enormous herbarium and library which, together with his correspondence, were used to further these ends. Banks was also a diligent manager of his family estates in Lincolnshire and Derbyshire.

After he died Banks's manuscripts were dispersed, largely through sales and auctions. The Project is in the process of surveying numerous repositories for letters to and from Banks, which are being edited for publication. The current theme under preparation, for which 6 volumes are intended, is that of science: 'The Scientific Letters of Sir Joseph, 1764-1820', edited by Neil Chambers. There is no central collection for the Banks papers as such. These are, as stated, widely distributed, and the survey is work still in progress. The Project seeks funding, particularly for its present publication.