Well over half the material held at the American Philosophical Society's Library & Museum documents the history of science. These collections include manuscripts, printed materials, images and photographs, as well as oral history interviews and other audio-visual records.
In terms of subject-area, the APS’s history of science collections run the gamut from A to Z—from astronomy to zoology—with particular strengths in genetics, evolutionary biology, and the life sciences. Other areas of note include eighteenth- and nineteenth-century natural history, physics, and the early history of computing.
Explore the collections through the general Collections Search, or visit the History of Science Collections page to view some highlights from our holdings.
Images & Digital Galleries
The APS’s Digital Library hosts hundreds of images representing materials in the history of science. Notable projects in this area include digital galleries visualizing the connections among women scientists in the APS's collections, as well as web exhibits highlighting the lives and achievements of biophysicist Britton Chance and of Nobel Prize-winning physician Baruch Blumberg, whose papers are housed at the APS.
- Visualizing Women in Science
- Frontiers of Knowledge: Britton Chance and New Channels of Discovery
- A Journey of Inquiry: Exploring the Scientific Process through the Manuscript Collection of Baruch Blumberg
Women in Science Oral History Project
In conjunction with its 2023 exhibition, Pursuit & Persistence: 300 Years of Women in Science, the APS's Library & Museum established a year-long postdoctoral fellowship to conduct oral history interviews with prominent women scientists within the APS membership. These oral histories are now a part of the APS Library & Museum collection.