Blue-crowned Parakeets, Aratinga acuticauda. There are probably four species of parakeet that have established populations in the south of England, probably descendants from accidental or deliberate releases of captive birds.

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About the archives

Archives strongroom

Archives strongroom©Natural History Museum

The Public Records Act of 1958, amended in 1967, states that public authorities are required to keep their records and make them available for use by the public. The Natural History Museum is recognised by the National Archives as a place of deposit for the records it creates. The Archives are stored on site in South Kensington, enabling easy access to them by Museum staff and the public.

The Museum Archives are maintained separately from the manuscript and drawing collections held by the General, Zoology, Entomology, Botany and Earth Sciences Libraries that are acquired by bequest, gift or purchase. In the past the distinction between official archive and unofficial manuscript materials was not so clearly defined. As a result some library and Archive collections, such as those deposited by retired, voluntary or associate members of staff, include both official and unofficial papers.

Photograph of sketches

Pencil sketches of South Trinidad by E.A. Wilson, 1901. ©Natural History Museum

More than 4 million documents are preserved in the Archives, providing a unique resource for all those interested in the history of the Museum and its work. Material dates from the late 1700s nearly to the present day. The Archives include manuscripts, typescripts, correspondence, photographs, artwork and printed ephemera.

The Museum Archives also care for the archives of the Ray Society,  the Society for the History of Natural History, the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature and the International Biological Programme. Enquiries regarding access to these collections should be directed in the first instance to the relevant organisation.

Original documentary sources available for research include:

  • letters to all Museum departments from scientists and researchers worldwide
  • accession registers containing details of specimens received by the Museum
  • details of research undertaken by Museum scientists
  • departmental annual reports
  • minutes of Trustees meetings
  • personnel records
  • research notes and papers in botany, entomology, mineralogy, palaeontology and zoology

Subjects that can be researched include:

  • architectural history of the building
  • acquisition of major collections and individual specimens
  • life and work of former members of staff
  • Museum exhibitions and museology
  • the Museum's growing role in conservation
  • development of visitor and education services
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