Papers of Carl Linnaeus

The correspondence and manuscript collections of Carl Linnaeus, the father of taxonomy, were purchased in 1783 by Sir James Edward Smith, along with Linnaeus’ world famous specimen collections. Smith went on to found the Linnean Society so that Linnaeus’ collections could be preserved, studied and enjoyed by future generations. They are the focal point of the Linnean Society.

These collections have been digitised and are available online. Further information about Linnaeus and his collections, including his library and specimen collection, are available on the Linnaean Collections page.