skip to content

Darwin Correspondence Project

Meet the correspondents

COBBE-F-P-01-00984.jpg

Frances Power Cobbe
http://wellcomeimages.org/
Frances Power Cobbe, Fom: Life of Frances Power Cobbe by Herself, Published: 1894
L0010481
Wellcome Library, London

COAN-T-01-07505.jpg

Titus Coan
https://archive.org/details/tituscoanmemoria01coan
Titus Coan
Image from archive.org. Digitised by The Library of Congress

JENYNS-L-01-02560.jpg

Leonard Jenyns
Leonard Jenyns, aged 85
CUL Q479.c.8.8
Cambridge University Library

BLACKWELL-A-L-B-01-00471.jpg

Antoinette Louisa Brown Blackwell
https://archive.org/stream/historyofwomansu01stan#page/n465/mode/2up
Antoinette Louisa Brown Blackwell
Image from archive.org. Digitised by Wellesley College Library, Boston Library Consortium

YARRELL-W-01-05275.jpg

William Yarrell
http://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/portrait/mw194286/William-Yarrell?
William Yarrell by Thomas Herbert Maguire, printed by M & N Hanhart lithograph, 1849, NPG D36232
mw194286
© National Portrait Gallery, London

EVANS-M-A-01-01554.jpg

George Eliot (Mary Ann Evans)
http://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/portrait/mw01624/George-Eliot-Mary-Ann-Cross-ne-Evans?
George Eliot (Mary Ann Cross (née Evans)), replica by François D'Albert Durade, oil on canvas, 1849, NPG 1405
mw01624
© National Portrait Gallery, London

GRAY-J-L-01-01960.jpg

Jane Loring Gray
http://botlib.huh.harvard.edu/libraries/Gray_Bicent/gray_jane.htm
Jane Loring Gray , 1886
Courtesy of the Gray Herbarium

Darwin on human evolution

'I hear that Ladies think it delightful reading, but that it does not do to talk about it, which no doubt promotes the sale.' For the first time online you can now read the full texts of nearly 800 letters Darwin wrote and received during 1871, the year in which his controversial first public statement on human evolution was published.  The extraordinary number of letters reflects the excitement the book – Descent of man and selection in relation to sex – caused. All 2500 copies of the first printing sold immediately, and 5000 more copies were published during the year. 

Read more

Read and search the full texts of more than 8,500 of Charles Darwin’s letters, and find information on 6,500 more. Discover complete transcripts of all known letters Darwin wrote and received up to the year 1871.

Darwin for Schools

Discover our new schools resources for 7-11 year olds.

Visit the schools section