Sir Richard Owen Handwritten Signed Letter, 1871

A personal glimpse into the Victorian world of Sir Richard Owen—the celebrated anatomist and paleontologist who coined the term Dinosauria.

Dated 18 October 1871, this handwritten letter is headed with green printed “Sheen Lodge, Richmond Park” stationery and closes with Owen’s signature, “Richd Owen.” Written across four panels on both sides of a folded sheet, it preserves a substantial example of his correspondence.

Addressing his recipient as “My dear Friend,” Owen discusses journeys to Egypt, recalling a route through Paris and Marseilles to Alexandria, and another through Ostend, Cologne, Munich, the Brenner Pass, and Venice. He also mentions Brindisi, the Mont Cenis tunnel, and spending a winter on the Nile. A reference to bronchitis adds a candid personal detail to this account of nineteenth-century travel.

Best known for naming Dinosauria in 1842, Owen was a major figure in comparative anatomy and paleontology and a driving force behind the creation of London’s Natural History Museum. This letter offers a connection to the man behind that scientific legacy through his own handwriting, travel recollections, and signature.

The sheet measures approximately 6 × 7 inches unfolded, folding down to approximately 3 × 3.5 inches. The paper shows age toning, scattered spotting, and visible fold lines, while the handwriting remains readily legible overall. Please examine both images closely for condition.

An appealing addition to a collection of scientific manuscripts, Victorian correspondence, early travel accounts, or the history of paleontology. The actual handwritten letter shown on both sides is the item offered.