Society of Physics and Natural History of Geneva

The Society for the History of Physics and Natural History (SHNH) is a friendly international society for everyone who is interested in natural history in the biggest sense. This includes botany, zoology and geology as well as natural history collections, consideration, art and bibliography. Everyone with an interest in these subjects – professional or amateur – is comfortable to join. The Society's Patron is Sir David Attenborough OM CH FRS.

Originally named the Society for the record of Natural History, SHNH was instituted in 1936 by a small group of distinguished scientists, librarians and bibliographers whose obligation and love of books motivated the formation of the Society in London. The Society's first President remained Charles Davies Sherborn (1861–1942), who assembled the Index Animalium single-handedly over 43 years (1758–1850). This 11 volume, 9,000 sheet work became the basis for zoological nomenclature.

The Society's main publication is Documentations of natural history which is circulated for the Society by Edinburgh University Press. Archives of natural history provides an street for the publication of papers on the history and bibliography of natural history in its broadest sense, and in all phases and all cultures. This includes botany, geology, palaeontology and zoology, the lives of naturalists, their periodicals, correspondence and collections, and the institutions and societies to which they belong. Bibliographical papers troubled with the study of rare books, manuscripts and illustrative material, and analytical and enumerative bibliographies are also distributed. From time to time, the Society also publishes other works of awareness, the most recent being Darwin in the Archives. An informal Newsletter is also produced.

The Society holds a consistent series of meetings on all aspects of the history of natural history. These range from short evening meetings to international conferences attractive place over several days with associated visits. Every alternate year this becomes an international conference generally in the form of a one- or two-day symposium on a nominated theme.