diff --git a/pyinaturalist/__init__.py b/pyinaturalist/__init__.py
index 8c154449..f8bdffbf 100644
--- a/pyinaturalist/__init__.py
+++ b/pyinaturalist/__init__.py
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 # Ignore ImportErrors if this is imported outside a virtualenv
 try:
     from pyinaturalist.auth import get_access_token
+    from pyinaturalist.client import iNatClient
     from pyinaturalist.constants import *
     from pyinaturalist.formatters import enable_logging, format_table, pprint
     from pyinaturalist.models import *
diff --git a/pyinaturalist/client.py b/pyinaturalist/client.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..9ff58e6b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pyinaturalist/client.py
@@ -0,0 +1,52 @@
+# TODO: Use requests_cache.CachedSession by default?
+# TODO: Create and refresh access tokens on demand (if using keyring)?
+from logging import getLogger
+
+from pyrate_limiter import Limiter
+from requests import Session
+
+from pyinaturalist import DEFAULT_USER_AGENT
+from pyinaturalist.api_requests import RATE_LIMITER
+from pyinaturalist.controllers import ObservationController
+
+logger = getLogger(__name__)
+
+
+class iNatClient:
+    """API Client class.
+    'iNatClient' is nonstandard casing, but 'InatClient' just looks wrong. Deal with it, pep8.
+
+    Args:
+        dry_run: Just log all requests instead of sending real requests
+        limiter: Rate-limiting settings to use instead of the default
+        session: Session object to use instead of creating a new one
+        user_agent: User-Agent string to pass to API requests
+    """
+
+    def __init__(
+        self,
+        dry_run: bool = False,
+        limiter: Limiter = RATE_LIMITER,
+        session: Session = None,
+        user_agent: str = DEFAULT_USER_AGENT,
+    ):
+        self.access_token = None
+        self.dry_run = dry_run
+        self.limiter = limiter
+        self.session = session or Session()
+        self.user_agent = user_agent
+
+        # Controllers
+        self.observations = ObservationController(self)
+        # self.taxa = TaxonController(self)
+        # etc.
+
+    @property
+    def settings(self):
+        """Get client settings to pass to an API request"""
+        return {
+            'dry_run': self.dry_run,
+            'limiter': self.limiter,
+            'session': self.session,
+            'user_agent': self.user_agent,
+        }
diff --git a/pyinaturalist/controllers/__init__.py b/pyinaturalist/controllers/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..1f66214c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pyinaturalist/controllers/__init__.py
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+# flake8: noqa: F401
+from pyinaturalist.controllers.base import BaseController
+from pyinaturalist.controllers.observations import ObservationController
diff --git a/pyinaturalist/controllers/base.py b/pyinaturalist/controllers/base.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..315321a3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pyinaturalist/controllers/base.py
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+class BaseController:
+    """Base class for resource-specific controllers"""
+
+    def __init__(self, client):
+        self.client = client
diff --git a/pyinaturalist/controllers/observations.py b/pyinaturalist/controllers/observations.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..848cb21b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pyinaturalist/controllers/observations.py
@@ -0,0 +1,54 @@
+# TODO: Update examples and example responses
+# TODO: Don't override return signature
+from typing import Dict, List
+
+from pyinaturalist.constants import HistogramResponse
+from pyinaturalist.controllers import BaseController
+from pyinaturalist.docs import copy_doc_signature
+from pyinaturalist.models import LifeList, Observation, Taxon, User
+from pyinaturalist.models.taxon import TaxonCounts
+from pyinaturalist.v1 import (
+    get_observation_histogram,
+    get_observation_identifiers,
+    get_observation_observers,
+    get_observation_species_counts,
+    get_observation_taxonomy,
+    get_observations,
+)
+
+
+# TODO: Fix type checking for return types
+class ObservationController(BaseController):
+    """Controller for observation requests"""
+
+    @copy_doc_signature(get_observations)
+    def search(self, **params) -> List[Observation]:
+        response = get_observations(**params, **self.client.settings)
+        return Observation.from_json_list(response)  # type: ignore
+
+    # TODO: Does this need a model with utility functions, or is {datetime: count} sufficient?
+    @copy_doc_signature(get_observation_histogram)
+    def histogram(self, **params) -> HistogramResponse:
+        return get_observation_histogram(**params, **self.client.settings)
+
+    @copy_doc_signature(get_observation_identifiers)
+    def identifiers(self, **params) -> Dict[int, User]:
+        response = get_observation_identifiers(**params, **self.client.settings)
+        return {r['count']: User.from_json(r['user']) for r in response['results']}  # type: ignore
+
+    @copy_doc_signature(get_observation_taxonomy, add_common_args=False)
+    def life_list(self, *args, **params) -> LifeList:
+        response = get_observation_taxonomy(*args, **params, **self.client.settings)
+        return LifeList.from_json(response.json())  # type: ignore
+
+    # TODO: Separate model for these results? (maybe a User subclass)
+    # TODO: Include species_counts
+    @copy_doc_signature(get_observation_observers)
+    def observers(self, **params) -> Dict[int, User]:
+        response = get_observation_observers(**params, **self.client.settings)
+        return {r['count']: User.from_json(r['user']) for r in response['results']}  # type: ignore
+
+    @copy_doc_signature(get_observation_species_counts)
+    def species_counts(self, **params) -> Dict[int, Taxon]:
+        response = get_observation_species_counts(**params, **self.client.settings)
+        return TaxonCounts.from_json(response)  # type: ignore