The spider collection of the Museum Godeffroy
The Museum Godeffroy was a private Museum in Hamburg that existed between 1861 and 1885. Material that was accumulated by professional collectors in Australasia and the Pacific some 150 years ago for this Museum constitutes the first major collection of spiders. The more than 500 type specimens are still the primary reference for spider taxonomy in Australia and the Pacific region. We are currently digitising and re-analysing this collection from a historical perspective, aiming to resurrect the former Museum Godeffroy in the digital age and providing a solid foundation for spider identification in this part of the world. This is our “Project Godeffroy”.