Darwin Correspondence Project

• Scope and content
• Searching the database
• Notes on the entries
• Access to original letters
• Acknowledgments

Scope and content

The online database contains around 14500 entries which summarise the contents of all the known surviving letters written both by and to Charles Darwin. Around 5000 of those entries include complete transcriptions of the letters, taken from the published volumes of The correspondence of Charles Darwin (Burkhardt et al., Cambridge University Press 1985-). Today, Darwin’s letters are in more than 200 archives and private collections in at least 20 countries around the world. Look under ‘provenance‘ in the metadata to each entry to find out where the original letter, or other source of our information, is to be found.

Also included in the database are short biographies of nearly 2000 correspondents and more than 1000 other people mentioned in the letters. The biographical entries of Darwin’s correspondents link to complete lists of all letters he exchanged with them.

There is a bibliography of printed sources which is being fully linked to references in the Database entries. This is work in progress. In cases where you cannot identify a source referred to in a footnote to a letter, please consult the print edition of the Correspondence.

The database is periodically revised as letters are redated, as new letters come to light, or as new information on their contents becomes available. It has been comprehensively indexed. In addition to searching the full texts of the letters, notes, biographies, and letter summaries, classified indexes to the summaries will help you find information on letters dealing with particular subjects.

Please let us know of any bugs by contacting us. We are also grateful for additions or corrections to factual information.

Searching the Database

The simple search box in the top left of each page searches both the website and the database.

There is a powerful advanced search facility for the database that allows complex searching of the letters, the summaries and the biographical information. For help with this, see the search tips.

Notes on the entries:

• The letter number (or ‘calendar number’) is a unique identifier for each letter. The series originated in the published Calendar to the correspondence.
• Where the name of the correspondent has been supplied by the editors, the name appears in square brackets. Doubtful attributions are indicated by a question mark.
• Any parts of the date supplied by the editors appear in square brackets. Less than half of the known letters have a complete date written on them by the author.
• Look at the metadata to the lower left of each entry for basic information about each letter:
  • author
  • addressee
  • date
  • physical description
  • where to find the original
  • whether we have published it, and if so, in which volume of the Correspondence
• The ‘provenance’ is usually the location of the original letter. Alternatively it refers to the source from which the summary or transcription has been made.

The entries in the online database include letters in the following categories:

Original letters.

The greatest number of entries refer to letters written or dictated and signed by Darwin, and letters written by his correspondents.

Copies of letters.

Almost all of these are letters from Darwin; a few are copies made by correspondents of their own letters to Darwin. Most of the copies used are located in the Darwin archive of Cambridge University Library (especially classmarks DAR 143-153). These were edited by Charles Darwin’s son, Francis. The term ‘copy’ is used to designate manuscript or typewritten copies, not mechanical reproductions such as photocopies. Copies are used only when the originals have not been found.

Published letters.

These are letters that have survived only in their published form. Also included are letters Darwin wrote to publications such as the Gardeners’ Chronicle or Nature and published replies.

Drafts.

These have been used if the final version has been lost.

Third-party letters.

letters not written by or to Darwin but either forwarded to him or relevant to the correspondence.

Memoranda.

Letters listed in sales catalogues.

We include details as given in catalogues in cases where we have been unable to get access to the original letters.

Access to original letters

Please note that the Darwin Correspondence Project does not control access to ANY original material either in Cambridge or in any of the other repositories housing Darwin manuscripts. If you want to look at an original letter, you should contact the owner or repository directly. The owner of the letter, where known, will appear under ‘provenance’ in the metadata to each letter’s database entry. We do not publish the contact details of private collectors: should you wish to see a letter in a private collection, we will do our best to contact the owner on your behalf.

Acknowledgments

Development of the present version of the database is being made possible by generous support from the British Ecological Society, Cambridge University Press, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the National Science Foundation, the Isaac Newton Trust, and the John Templeton Foundation, and also from private donors. We are extremely grateful to them all. Support for earlier stages of the Darwin Correspondence Project’s online resources was provided by the Arts and Humanities Research Board, the Jephcott Charitable Trust, and the Wilkinson Charitable Foundation.

Technical development is being undertaken in conjunction with staff at Cambridge
University’s Centre for Applied Research in Educational Technologies, and we thank them for their commitment, flair, patience, and sheer hard work. The present site benefits from earlier development undertaken for us by Martin Oldfield. We continue to be grateful to Martin for his expertise, his enthusiasm, and his time, much of which has been donated.