To Albert Günther 23 March [1870]1
Down, Beckenham | Kent
March 23
Dear Günther
As I do not know Mr. Ford’s address, will you hand him this note, which is written solely to express my unbounded admiration of the woodcuts. I fairly gloat over them. The only evil is that they will make all the other woodcuts look very poor!
They are all excellent, & for the feathers I declare I think it the most wonderful woodcut I ever saw: I cannot help touching it to make sure that it is smooth. How I wish to see the two other & even more important ones of the feathers & the four other Reptiles &c.— Once again accept my very sincere thanks for all your kindness. I am greatly indebted to Mr Ford. Engravings have always hitherto been my greatest misery & now they are a real pleasure to me.—
Yours very sincerely | Ch. Darwin.
I thought I shd have been in press by this time, but my subject has branched off into sub-branches, which have cost me infinite time, & Heaven knows when I shall have all my M.S ready, but I am never idle.—2
P.S. Please ask Mr Ford to keep my rough sketches of feathers & my notes, as I am much puzzled what to do about the letters of reference to the different marks & dots.—3
Footnotes
Bibliography
Correspondence: The correspondence of Charles Darwin. Edited by Frederick Burkhardt et al. 29 vols to date. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 1985–.
Descent: The descent of man, and selection in relation to sex. By Charles Darwin. 2 vols. London: John Murray. 1871.
Expression: The expression of the emotions in man and animals. By Charles Darwin. London: John Murray. 1872.
Freeman, Richard Broke. 1977. The works of Charles Darwin: an annotated bibliographical handlist. 2d edition. Folkestone, Kent: William Dawson & Sons. Hamden, Conn.: Archon Books, Shoe String Press.
Variation: The variation of animals and plants under domestication. By Charles Darwin. 2 vols. London: John Murray. 1868.
Summary
Expresses his "unbounded admiration" for Mr Ford’s woodcuts [for Descent]. Thanks AG for his kindness.
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-7146
- From
- Charles Robert Darwin
- To
- Albrecht Carl Ludwig Gotthilf (Albert) Günther
- Sent from
- Down
- Source of text
- Shrewsbury School, Taylor Library
- Physical description
- ALS 5pp
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 7146,” accessed on 24 April 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-7146.xml
Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 18