AWARDS NEWS: Announcing the 2025 SHNH Natural History Book Prize shortlist (Thackray Medal)

January 19, 2026

The Redouté brothers: masters of scientific illustration in Paris Hans Walter Lack, James A. Compton & Martin W. Callmander Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle. 2024. 822pp. ISBN 9782383270201. This work provides the first comprehensive biography of the three Redouté brothers, Antoine-Ferdinand, Pierre-Joseph and Henri-Joseph. Originating from humble origins in the Ardennes, they all took root in […]

Announcing the programme for the 2026 SHNH ECR Conference Thursday 20 February 2026

January 11, 2026

SHNH Early Career Researcher Symposium showcasing research into Natural History. Thursday 19 February 2026 online 09.25-17.45 GMT in partnership with The Linnean Society of London. The Society for the History of Natural History is a diverse community of people united by an active interest in the study of natural history through time, believing that a […]

Award News – The SHNH Stearn Student Essay Prize Winner 2025 is Muhammad Ali Ozain for his essay: ‘The taxonomy of faith: gardens, flora, and the Islamicate imagination in Mughal India’

November 26, 2025

In writing about the award Ali says: ‘I am honoured and delighted to receive the William T. Stearn Student Essay Prize for my paper on how Mughal gardens were not only aesthetic expressions of paradise but also living archives of taxonomy and theology. In an era when the process of decolonisation is reshaping how we […]

CALL for PAPERS for The Zoological Society of London (ZSL) at 200: Science, Society, and the Natural World 1-3 July 2026

November 7, 2025

Call for papers This three-day international meeting, held in SHNH’s 90th year, will mark the bicentenary of the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) and delve into its history and impact on our knowledge of the natural world. Founded in the age of empire and Enlightenment science, ZSL has shaped – and been shaped by – […]

CALL for PAPERS for ‘Early Career Researcher Symposium – showcasing research into the history of natural history’ Online, Thursday 19 February 2026

September 9, 2025

The Society for the History of Natural History is a diverse community of people united by an active interest in the study of natural history through time, believing that a greater awareness of how nature has been considered, documented, valued and exploited by societies and individuals worldwide leads to a deeper understanding and celebration of […]

Announcing the SHNH Natural History Book Prize (Thackray Medal) longlist

September 2, 2025

The Redouté brothers: Masters of scientific illustration in Paris Hans Walter Lack, James A. Compton & Martin W. Callmander. Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle. 2024. 822pp. ISBN 978-2-38327-020-1. This work provides the first comprehensive biography of the three Redouté brothers, Antoine-Ferdinand, Pierre-Joseph and Henri-Joseph. Originating from humble origins in the Ardennes, they all took root in […]

Announcement – Society for the History of Natural History 2025 awards

June 6, 2025

SHNH President’s Award SHNH is delighted to award the SHNH President’s Award 2024 to Caroline Cornish. The Award recognises an individual or team’s contribution and impact in promoting and improving accessibility, inclusivity and diversity to the study of the history of natural history. In 15 years of research and research facilitation at Kew, and at […]

Booking open: ‘A Sense of Nature’, SHNH International Summer Meeting, University of Glasgow, 19-20 June 2025

April 7, 2025

A Sense of Nature The ‘sensory turn’ in a range of humanities and social sciences disciplines has led to innovative research exploring how sensory experiences shape cultural and historical narratives. Within natural history, the management of the senses has been instrumental in shaping our knowledge of and interactions with the natural world. The roles of […]

CALL FOR STUDENT ESSAYS: The 2025 Stearn Student Essay Prize is open for submissions

March 4, 2025

Guidelines Prize winners are chosen by a panel of 3 judges (all members of the Society). Competition opens on 01 February 2025. All entries must be received by the Secretary by 31 July 2025. Essays should not have been previously published, and must not be under consideration at another journal. Essays should not have been […]

Call for Papers: ‘A Sense of Nature’, SHNH International Summer Meeting, Lecture Theatre, Kelvin Hall, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, 19-20 June 2025

February 15, 2025

A Sense of Nature This two-day international meeting will explore the intersections of the senses – including sight (vision), sound (hearing), smell (olfaction), taste (gustation) and touch (tactile perception) – with the history of natural history. We invite scholars, researchers and practitioners to submit papers that delve into the sensory dimensions and their roles, and […]

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