Africa - The Royal Geographical Society Collection

The Royal Geographical Society holds a variety of material relating to the historical geography of the Victoria Falls. Highlights include various instruments used by David Livingstone during his exploration of Africa as well as a collection of his manuscripts and maps documenting his Zambezi expedition from 1858-1864. The Society also holds a large number of watercolour and oil paintings by Thomas Baines which capture the dramatic beauty of the Mosi-oa-Tunya.

In the footsteps: David Livingstone  | In the footsteps: Thomas Baines | In the footsteps: Mary Sophia Johnston

In the footsteps of: David Livingstone

David Livingstone was a doctor missionary and explorer. Raised by a devout family that valued education he sought to learn medicine as part of a Christian mission. To this end he passed his medical exams and was ordained in 1840. While studying Livingstone attended London Missionary Society lectures and met  missionaries working in Southern Africa, sparking his interest in the region.

Livingstone began his missionary among the Tswana peoples, always with an eye to pushing farther inland and away from established missions. After a journey to Lake Ngami in the interior he set his sights on the Zambezi River and crossing Africa. During this venture he became one the first Europeans to see Mosi-oa-Tunya - 'the waters that thunder', renaming the waterfall Victoria Falls in honour of Queen Victoria. He reached the mouth of the Zambezi on the Indian Ocean in May 1856 becoming the first European to cross the width of southern Africa.

Livingstone set out on another expedition in 1866 to go in search of the headwaters of the Nile. A quest he continued until his death in 1873.​

In the footsteps of: Thomas Baines

Thomas Baines (1822-1875) was an artist and explorer born in Kings Lynn, Norfolk. He apprenticed to a coach painter at an early age before leaving England for Cape Town, South Africa at the age of 22. He began work as a scenic and portrait artist before taking up the role of offical war artist for the British army during the Eighth Frontier War. In 1855 Baines joined Augustus Gregorys Royal Geographical Society sponsored expedition across northern Australia as offical artist and storekeeper. On his return to London in 1857 he was elected a Fellow of the RGS.

Baines’ proven skills during the Gregory expedition led to his appointment as artist on the Zambezi expedition under David Livingstone in 1858. He accompanied Livingstone as far as Tete in Mozambique before being forced to depart the expedition following a dispute between the two men. In 1861 he joined James Chapman on his expedition from the south-west coast to the Victoria Falls completing a route survey and producing a large volume of striking sketches and paintings. His drawings of the Victoria Falls reporduced in coloured lithographs form a handsome folio titled The Victoria Falls Zambesi River sketched on the spot, published in 1865.

In the footsteps of: Mary Sophia Johnston

Mary Sophia Johnston (1875–1955) was a British geologist keen amateur photographer archivist and active member of the Geologists Association. She was also one of the first female Fellows to be elected to the Royal Geographical Society in 1913 and the Geological Society in 1919. She is noted for her contributions to geological photography documenting her extensive travels in the early 20th century. 

Born in Folkestone Kent Mary moved to London when her father died in 1888. She studied Geology at University College London from 1898 and joined the Geologists Association of which she was an enthusiastic member taking part in field trips both at home and abroad. In 1929 she travelled with the Geologists Association to South Africa from where she travelled to the Victoria Falls to take part in geological and archaeological studies.

Mary donated the majority of her geological specimen collection to the Natural History Museum. The RGS is fortunate to hold over 350 of her photographs taken during her world travels which document many places across Europe United States of America and Africa.