RGS Collections

The RGS Collections are extensive and impressive. They have been developing for almost 200 years, and date back far before then.

The Map Room was visited by many of the most well-known explorers to plan their routes and other preparations for their travels.

Visit the Foyle Reading Room to access them. RGS fellows can have access free of charge, for others it is £10 a day. Items need to be requested in advance and all the details are on the page that is linked to above.

I have seen some of their impressive artefacts at previous RGS meetings, and they are often displayed at specific events.

The Collections contain over two million documents, maps, photographs, paintings, periodicals, artefacts and books, and span 500 years of geography, travel and exploration.

Thorough its history, the Society has successfully advocated for the inclusion of geography in schools and universities, and served as an information exchange for geographers, explorers, soldiers, administrators and naturalists, providing intelligence for academic and state endeavors.