SAN MARINO, CA.- Published by Princeton University Press in association with The Huntington, Worlds Unfolding: Science on the Page is designed for readers within and beyond the sciences, pairing vivid images with concise texts that explore the history of science through questions, comparisons, and unexpected juxtapositions. Images of medieval maps, botanical specimens, scientific instruments, lightbulbs, anatomical drawings, X-ray photographs, rare books, and archival documents are accompanied by extended captions that show how scientific knowledge has been recorded, shared, and challenged across time and place. The publication will be available Oct. 13, 2026, at the Huntington Store, from Princeton University Press, and through online distributors.

“At The Huntington, we see every day how collections are catalysts for discovery,” said Sandra Brooke Gordon, Avery Director of the Library at The Huntington. “Worlds Unfolding brings that idea to life for curious readers of all ages, using the Huntington Library’s collections to illuminate the many ways humans have observed, questioned, imagined, and pursued knowledge.”

The Huntington’s history of science collection is one of the largest and most important in North America. Its materials primarily document Western practices and theories in science, medicine, technology, and related fields. Highlights include the largest collection of Isaac Newton materials outside the United Kingdom; the records of Southern California’s Mount Wilson Observatory; books and archives focused on women’s health and cardiovascular surgery; landmark publications in natural history; and oral histories related to the aerospace industry.

“Science is the history of science,” said Daniel Lewis, Dibner Senior Curator for the History of Science and Technology at The Huntington and co-author of Worlds Unfolding. “It has a deep history that runs right up to the present day—one that remains relevant to our present and our future endeavors.”
Inside Worlds Unfolding

A booklet accompanying the publication’s five volumes features an introductory essay by Bill Nye, an engineer, author, and longtime host of the Emmy Award-winning PBS series Bill Nye the Science Guy. Nye writes: “These volumes carry visual and verbal descriptions of humankind’s biggest ideas and an astounding number of the remarkable objects we’ve created. They are extraordinary.”

Readers may move through the books in any order, guided by theme, image, association, or whim.





“Human curiosity rarely follows a straight line, and neither does Worlds Unfolding,” said Jennifer A. Watts, senior curator for library special projects at The Huntington and co-author of the publication. “We organized the volumes around five interconnected ‘worlds’ that reflect the expansive and multidisciplinary nature of science itself. By placing objects and texts from different centuries, cultures, and fields into conversation with one another, we invite readers to make unexpected connections and experience the same sense of wonder, inquiry, and discovery that has driven the pursuit of knowledge throughout human history.”

Worlds Unfolding reveals collection materials rarely seen outside of the Library’s reading rooms. “As we combed through bookstacks and archival boxes, we realized how much insight our collections offer into science’s quieter stories and contributors: astronomical glassmakers, nurses, farmers, sailors, home cooks, teachers, poets, and artists. This project illuminates the many hands that have built and shaped our world,” said Natalie Lawler, assistant curator for special projects at The Huntington and co-author of the book.

The publication also includes original on-site photography by two contemporary artists, Heather Rasmussen and Anna Beeke, showing selected objects in use by Library staff. The book was designed by Content Object’s Kimberly Varella.

Themes Explored in Worlds Unfolding

• Worlds Above: astronomy, aviation, and aerospace engineering
• Worlds Below: geology, mining, and oceanography
• Worlds Within: anatomy, medicine, mathematics, and electricity
• Worlds Beyond: exploration, global encounters, science fiction, and outer space
• Worlds Alive: natural history, zoology, botany, ecosystems, and human impact

The Huntington Library’s History of Science Holdings

Henry E. Huntington’s foundational collection was rich in portolan charts and other cartographic treasures; sumptuous hand-colored books of natural history; works on the technology of flight; and more than 600 medical items printed in the 15th century. Landmark acquisitions have followed during the century since his death, including major collections in the history of obstetrics and medicine, astronomy, evolution, aerospace, and science fiction. The year 2026 marks the 20th anniversary of a transformational gift: Bern Dibner’s history of science library, comprising 47,000 rare books, 50 archival manuscript collections, and hundreds of scientific instruments—including a trove of historic lightbulbs and electrostatic machines.

“At the heart of Worlds Unfolding is the Burndy Library, the landmark collection that transformed The Huntington into one of the nation’s most significant collections in the history of science, medicine, and technology,” said Joel A. Klein, Molina Curator for the History of Medicine and Allied Sciences at The Huntington and co-author of Worlds Unfolding. “The publication draws deeply from these holdings to demonstrate the global exchange of ideas that shaped scientific knowledge over hundreds of years.”

Jennifer A. Watts is senior curator for library special projects at The Huntington. She is the author of award-winning publications, including Nineteen Nineteen and A Strange and Fearful Interest. Her work explores the visual, cultural, and historical dimensions of The Huntington’s collections.

Daniel Lewis is the Dibner Senior Curator for the History of Science and Technology at The Huntington. He is the author of Twelve Trees: The Deep Roots of Our Future and Belonging on an Island: Birds, Extinction, and Evolution in Hawai‘i. An environmental historian, he writes and curates at the intersection of science, nature, and culture.

Joel A. Klein is Molina Curator for the History of Medicine and Allied Sciences at The Huntington. His scholarship focuses on early modern medicine, science, and the histories of knowledge-making.

Natalie Lawler is assistant curator of library special projects at The Huntington. A visual artist and researcher, she explores the technology, materiality, and language of color.