Naturalist

As the ‘father of biogeography’ Wallace’s letters share his ideas on animal distribution and reveal a general love of the natural world.

Exchanging insect lists with Bates and keeping a journal

Letter from Wallace to fellow entomologist Henry Walter Bates about exchanging insect lists, plans for keeping a journal, and natural history books, dated April 1846.
Wallace's advice to Bates on writing a book

Letter from Wallace to entomologist friend Henry Walter Bates congratulating him on his return home from the Amazon, discussing writing books and exchanging specimens, dated November 1859.
Wallace on animal distribution and admiration of Darwin

Letter from Wallace to entomologist friend Henry Walter Bates expressing his admiration for Darwin's new book, discussing evidence for the geographical distribution of animals and exchanging specimens, dated December 1860.
Wallace on wild flowers in Java and England

Letter from Wallace to his sister Fanny describing an excursion to a volcano in Java and comparing the wild flowers of Java and England, dated October 1861.
Wallace on biogeography

Letter from Wallace to fellow insect collector Henry Walter Bates describing the geographical distribution of animals and rivers as geographical barriers, dated December 1861.
Portrait of Wallace

Photograph of Wallace aged about 40 years old, undated, circa 1862.
Comments on the distribution of birds in Celebes

Letter from Wallace to Lord Walden commenting on the latter's catalogue of the birds of Celebes (Sulawesi), dated August 1872.
Flowers at The Dell

Address and notebook with a calendar of flowering plants at The Dell, addresses and other lists, dated April 1873.
Proof illustration of the animals of New Guinea

Proof illustration entitled Characteristic Animals of New Guinea for Wallace's book The Geographical Distribution of Animals, dated 1876.
Proof illustration of the birds of the Malay forest

Proof illustration entitled A Malay Forest with Characteristic Birds for Wallace's book The Geographical Distribution of Animals, dated 1876.
Proof illustration of the animals of Borneo

Proof illustration entitled Characteristic Animals of Borneo for Wallace's book The Geographical Distribution of Animals, dated 1876.
Proof illustration of the birds of the Upper Amazon

Proof illustration entitled Characteristic Birds of the Upper Amazon, South America, for Wallace's book The Geographical Distribution of Animals, dated 1876.
Proof illustration of the animals of a Canadian forest

Proof illustration entitled Characteristic Mammals of a Canadian Forest for Wallace's book The Geographical Distribution of Animals, dated 1876.
Proof illustration of the animals of Madagascar

Proof illustration entitled Characteristic Animals of Madagascar for Wallace's book The Geographical Distribution of Animals, dated1876.
Darwin's notes on Wallace's Island Life book

Manuscript notes by Charles Darwin with comments on Wallace's book Island Life, undated, probably 1880.
Wallace explains flower anatomy

Letter from Wallace to his daughter Violet with instructions on how to look at the anatomy of a flower and about the delay of books being sent, dated June 1893.
Wallace's Lowell Institute lecture on continental islands

Press cutting reporting on Wallace's fourth Darwinism lecture at the Lowell Institute, undated, probably November 1886.
Report on Darwinism lectures

Press cutting reporting on lectures at University College in Toronto, Wallace's popularity and an outline of his work, undated, probably March 1887.
Response to Wallace's lecture on colours of animals

Press cutting reporting on a Cincinnati lecture on animal colours undated, but probably April 1887.
List of Wallace's lectures in the USA

Manuscript list by Wallace detailing his lectures on Natural History and how they were illustrated, undated, probably 1887.
Information on astronomy and the death of Bates

Letter from Wallace to his daughter Violet describing how planets line up together and the death of his old friend Bates, dated February 1892.
Notes on glacial lakes

Notebook pages on glacial lakes, with notes made on a visit to the Lake District, dated July 1893.
List of payments for lectures

Manuscript list of payments made to Wallace for lectures across the UK, undated, circa 1894.
Attending the Cambridge University Natural Science Club

Letter from Wallace to his daughter Violet about his meeting at the Cambridge University Natural Science Club, Violet's job and a disappointing lecture he attended dated March 1894.
Naming a spider Friula wallacii

Reprint of a paper by the Reverend Pickard-Cambridge naming a new spider after Wallace, sent to Wallace's daughter Violet, dated December 1896.
Wallace in his garden

Photograph of Wallace as an old man in his garden, undated, after 1900.
Photographic proof print of a redwood tree

Photographic proof print of a redwood tree for Wallace's book Studies Scientific and Social, undated, circa 1900.
Annotated proof print of an orang-utan

Annotated proof print illustration of an orang-utan for Wallace's book Studies Scientific and Social, undated, circa 1900.
Annotated proof print of a gibbon

Annotated proof print illustration of a gibbon for Wallace's book Studies Scientific and Social, undated, circa 1900.
Annotated proof print of a lemur

Annotated proof print illustration of a lemur for Wallace's book Studies Scientific and Social, undated, circa 1900.
Wallace donates his Amazonian fish drawings to the British Museum

Letter from Wallace to George Albert Boulenger, reptile curator at the British Museum, donating fish drawings from the Amazon, dated November 1904.
Science in 1907 manuscript

Manuscript by Wallace entitled Science in 1907, dated December 1907.
Science in 1907 newspaper article

Press cutting of an article by Wallace entitled Science in 1907, dated January 1908.
Reply from Tring Zoological Museum about bird species

Letter from Ernst Hartert, bird curator at the Tring Zoological Museum, to Wallace describing numbers of particular bird species identified, dated January 1910.
Wallace and the Croydon Natural History Society

Letter from Frank Roberts of the Croydon Natural History Society giving details on Wallace's connections with the society and his proposal that women should be permitted to join, dated February 1913.