The Linnean Society of London

The poster for our Wonder exhibition, "A delightful pick and mix of our fascinating natural history collections", and some selected items from that exhibition: a pencil sketch of a frog, and some antique bat scales.

Come and see an array of material from our archive on display in our free exhibition, 'Wonder', including playing cards, Victorian knitting patterns, lockets of hair, and bat scales. buff.ly/JUTYPY0 #EYAYourArchives

The text '2025 Highlights. Our Naturalists’ Notebooks exhibition had around 2,500 daytime visitors, and a programme of events and school visits.' surrounds a drawing of an anenome.

Our Naturalists' Notebooks exhibition brought out the note-maker in everyone, with around 2,500 visits, and a full programme of events and school visits.

Check out the launch lecture from Roland Allen, drawing from his book 'The Notebook: A History of Thinking on Paper'.
buff.ly/qI0G4OQ

A yellowed photograph, black and white, of a crowd of people seated formally in front of a large white building. A smaller piece of paper in the upper right hand corner appears to label figures in the portrait, with numbers corresponding to those on a loose sketch of the scene.

Friends and family celebrating 25 years of marriage for the Silver wedding anniversary of D.H. and Rina Scott, with a handy key to remember all of those many faces. (SCO/1/6/3) #EYAAnniversaries

This year, we released a 2nd edition of our popular L:50 book with a foreword from our Vice Patron, Sir David Attenborough.

The new edition includes updates and new pages on recent acquisitions such as John Tyley's breadfruit tree. (And it makes a great gift...)

buff.ly/KeMY4zs

We have a few FLSs (Fellows of the Linnean Society) in our @beyondnotables.bsky.social database. Here is a short list of BN women associated with the Linnean Society beyond-notability.wikibase.cloud/wiki/Special...

An oil painting of the Linnean Society's meeting room in warm ambers and golds. Women are amongst the crowd in front of and behind the desk, and one is writing.

Women were first admitted to the Linnean Society in 1905, after a campaign by Marian Farquharson. This portrait by James Sant shows the first formal admission of women as Fellows. buff.ly/vcmY3sD #EYAInclusion

On the fifth day of Christmas, Linnaeus gave to me...FIVE ANOLES! Well, more like anoles adapting to temperature change in the Andes, as taught to us in this lunchtime lecture! Kicking off the journal series, it contributed to the 1000+ lecture attendees this year! 🌍🧪Check it out👇

buff.ly/Tgjn9Pk

The artist Niki Simpson pioneered the use of #digital techniques that were developing in the early 2000s for the purpose of botanical illustration, as shown here in her piece on the Poinsettia. #christmas #EYADigital

We've had a busy year of workshops at the Linnean Society! Creative visitors have gone home with homemade notebooks, floral clocks, and prints made with light, among many other wonderful creations. We are looking forward to an even more crafty 2026!

If Sjupp were alive today...

The Lost Orchid | Hunting An Icon in the Linnean Society Archives A mystery, a flower, and a forgotten archive: uncover the wild tale of the orchid that sparked a Victorian obsession. In 1818, a curious root arrived in a small English town, tucked—seemingly by…

Our recent talk with @sbilston.bsky.social - The Lost Orchid: Hunting an Icon in the Linnean Society Archives - is now on YouTube!

Discover how a mysterious orchid sparked Victorian “orchid mania,” and how clues in our archives helped unravel its origins.

Watch here:

A greyscale illustration of a raccoon, hunkered down and looking mischievously at the viewer.

Carl Linnaeus's beloved pet raccoon, Sjupp, was a gift from the King of Sweden, and regularly stole snacks from Linnaeus's students. This drawing is thought to be Sjupp. (LM/PF/ALS/1) #EYAPets

The text '2025 Highlights. The Charles Darwin Archive was recognised on the prestigious UNESCO International Memory of the World Register' surrounds a painting of Darwin. He has a white beard and a solemn expression. He is wearing dark clothes and is set against a dark background

Darwin's archive, including Collier's famous portrait, was recognised on the UNESCO Memory of the World Register this year.

The project was a collaboration with @theul.bsky.social, @nhm-london.bsky.social, English Heritage’s Down House, @rbgkew.bsky.social & @natlibscot.bsky.social.
buff.ly/3J80NI8

Discover just how bats go about nabbing their night time snacks. There's more to it than you think! Bats are nocturnal, not just because they fancy a nighttime walk (yes, flight), but they are… Bat Foraging | Where and How They Do It

As you may well know, the Linnean Society is absolutely batty about bats. That's why we have uploaded Dr Iroro Tanshi's recent Lunchtime Lecture to YouTube, so you won't miss out on any top-tier bat content. Check it out at the link below!

buff.ly/Q2uxZgW

Rapid divergence with gene flow creates intractable nodes in the tree of life: An empirical demonstration in the Buzzing Flowerpecker (Dicaeum hypoleucum) Abstract. The avian tree of life contains a series of famously intractable nodes and controversial relationships whose resolution varies between studies de

We all know ornithologists loved naming birds, but less so trying to understand their evolutionary history...

Using the (perfectly named) Buzzing Flowerpecker as a case study, phylogenetic studies revealed rapid evolution & shared genes, making it difficult to draw boundaries...

A view of the Linnean Society Library. It is warmly lit, with two stories of books held aloft by pillars.

Today's #EYA item is the blissful #silence in our reading room. Open to all for research, you don't need to be a member of the Society. Email library@linnean.org to book a space. #EYASilence

A graphic titled: 2025 Highlights. Below is a collage of three images from Glastonbury festival, including the talk on the Laboratory Stage, the stall in the Science Futures tent, and the sign above Science Futures. Text below reads: "In June, our officers headed out to Glastobury festival to engage the public with amphibian conservation and their Laboratory Stage talk: What do you call a Fish with No Eyes?"

Today's highlight of 2025 is Glastonbury festival! The Engagement team brought the exciting world of natural history to the Science Futures tent in Green Fields and shared a love of taxonomy with the public. Next year: the Pyramid Stage!

2 December is the birthday of our Founder, James Edward Smith.

To mark the day, we're giving 15% off in our shop for one day only.

Use code 15%OffFoundersDay on 2 December only (Excludes Christmas and greeting card bundles, tours and gift cards).

Visit linnean.org/shop

Two detailed seals, one showing the king atop his throne, the other showing a knight on horseback.

Today for #EYA we have prints of the Privy Seal of King Richard I found in Lady Pleasance Smith's papers on history (MS/314/d/2). #Medieval #EYAMedieval

The text '2025 Highlights. In March, HRH The Princess Royal accepted the Patronage of the Society. Her Royal Highness has been an Honorary Member since 2007.' surrounds a picture of HRH The Princess Royal, smiling and clapping at a 2007 event.

Every day in December, we'll be sharing our highlights from 2025. Where else could we start but with our Patron, HRH The Princess Royal, who accepted the Patronage of the Society in March this year.

Her Royal Highness has been an Honorary Member since 2007.

Find out more: buff.ly/gBbZD7O

An advert for vaseline products, illustrated in warm tones.

Next up in #ExploreYourArchives week, we have just a few of the #beauty products available on the market at the end of the 19th century, found in the J.C. Sawer archive (MS/485/4). #EYABeauty

Four notebooks featuring a toucan, octopus, fern and butterfly on a flower.

Christmas cards featuring a hedgehog, pine, pointsettia, puffins, arctic fox and harbour seal.

Gift nature this #MuseumShopSunday with 10% off stationery and accessories.

All purchases help us to protect nature in schools, in the field, and on our shelves.

Use the code 10%MuseumShopSunday. One use per customer, applied to stationery and accessories. Valid 30 Nov 2026 only.
buff.ly/ALGBtb2

A densely hatched illustration of a sailing vessel on old paper.

It's Explore Your Archives week! This #EYA we are starting with Jonathan Couch's manuscript 'A Natural History of the Fishes' (MS/407): one of many items to benefit from #Conservation as part of the Society's AdoptLinn scheme. #EYAConservation buff.ly/kKRJ9oY

Thank you to everyone who joined us in Edinburgh last night for our partnership lecture with @edinburgh-uni.bsky.social! Prof Mark Blaxter gave a brilliant talk on how genome sequencing is helping us understand and protect biodiversity. Recording will be posted soon.

@sangerinstitute.bsky.social

YouTube video by Linnean Society Science & Satire | The Remarkable Cartoons of Richard Owen

The very same! We have a talk about his sketchbooks here if you want to learn more: www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5rh...

Pen and ink sketch showing people on a boat's deck, with an albatross swooping down on them

Pen and ink drawing of a ship sailing amongst icebergs

Pen an ink drawing of sailors in crows nests of a ship amongst its sails. An albatross is flying amongst them.

Ahoy! For #NationalIllustrationDay2025 we're revisiting Richard Owen's illustrations of 'The Rime of the Ancient Mariner'.

Our Archivist reflected on the poem, Owen's drawings, and how a new perspective can breathe life into familiar items.
buff.ly/xDikxM0

Images from MS713

Get an insider guide to the secrets of natural history museums, as we consider how they shape our society and relationship with nature. Join Jack Ashby, Assistant Director of the University Museum… Nature’s Memory | Behind the Scenes at the World’s Natural History Museums

Didn't make it to Jack Ashby's talk, Behind The Scenes at the World's Natural History Museums? Well luckily you can catch it now on YouTube:

buff.ly/JNCBVp8

What's worse than one demogorgon?? TWO DEMOGORGONS!!!

This one was not beaten by Steve & Dustin, but instead drawn by Frederik Miquel (1864), published in 'Choix de plantes rares ou nouvelles, cultivees et dessinees dans le Jardin Botanique de Buitenzorg'.

#StrangerThings #Demogorgon

I’m at the National Emergency Briefing today. Stark messages. It’s clear we have the science and knowledge but need the action and courage @nebriefing.bsky.social @linneansociety.bsky.social

Had a great time today presenting a poster about my PhD work 🐛 at the @linneansociety.bsky.social symposium on biological resilience. Some excellent talks in wonderful surroundings - so much food for thought with Darwin looking on - and all topped off with a fishy keynote @trishschulte.bsky.social 🐠