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Darwin’s reading notebooks
Summary
In April 1838, Darwin began recording the titles of books he had read and the books he wished to read in Notebook C (Notebooks, pp. 319–28). In 1839, these lists were copied and continued in separate notebooks. The first of these reading notebooks (DAR 119…
Matches: 26 hits
- … In April 1838, Darwin began recording the titles of books he had read and the books he wished to …
- … used these notebooks extensively in dating and annotating Darwin’s letters; the full transcript …
- … *128). For clarity, the transcript does not record Darwin’s alterations. The spelling and …
- … book had been consulted. Those cases where it appears that Darwin made a genuine deletion have been …
- … a few instances, primarily in the ‘Books Read’ sections, Darwin recorded that a work had been …
- … of the books listed in the other two notebooks. Sometimes Darwin recorded that an abstract of the …
- … in the Royal Society of London (Royal Society of London 1839) has been heavily marked, and quite a …
- … Pierquin, published in Paris (in 2 vols.), so long ago as 1839 4 [Pierquin de Gembloux 1839]. …
- … 1814–29] D r Royle on Himmalaya types [Royle 1839] (read) Smellie Philosophy of …
- … 1819]. see p. 17 Note Book C. for reference to authors about E. Indian Islands 8 consult D r …
- … 12 by Owen in Encyclop. of Anat. & Physiology [R. Owen 1839] Dampier probably worth …
- … of variation in animals in the different isl ds of E Indian Archipelago— [DAR *119: 6v.] …
- … & Rev. W. Herbert.— notes to White Nat. Hist of Selbourne [E. T. Bennett ed. 1837 and [J. Rennie …
- … [Reimarius 1760] The Highlands & Western Isl ds letter to Sir W Scott [MacCulloch 1824 …
- … 2 vols. 8vo. avec 2 atlas 4to. ibid, 1818–23. £1 2 s [E. Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire 1818–23] …
- … said to be Poor Sir. J. Edwards Botanical Tour [?J. E. Smith 1793] Fabricius (very old …
- … at Maer.— Lives of Kepler & Galileo. Drinkwater [J. E. Drinkwater] 1833]— Prof. …
- … 1834–40]: In Portfolio of “abstracts” 34 —letter from Skuckard of books on Silk Worm …
- … M rs Fry’s Life [Fry 1847] Horace Walpoles letter to C t . of Ossory [Walpole 1848] …
- … Asiatic Society ]—contains very little Macleay’s letter to D r Fleming [Macleay 1830] …
- … [Heer 1854].— Hooker has it.— Very important Hookers letter Jan. 1859 Yules Ava [Yule 1858] …
- … years 1838–1842, under the command of Charles Wilkes, U.S.N. New York. [Abstract in DAR 71: 51–2.] …
- … years 1838–1842, under the command of Charles Wilkes, U.S.N. Philadelphia. [Abstract in DAR 205.3: …
- … ou, iconographie de toutes les espèces et variétés d’arbres, fruitiers cultivés dans cet …
- … sur la distribution géographique des animaux vertébrés, moins les oiseaux. Journal de Physique 94 …
- … Drury, Robert. 1729. Madagascar; or, Robert Drury’s journal, during fifteen years …
Darwin in letters, 1837–1843: The London years to 'natural selection'
Summary
The seven-year period following Darwin's return to England from the Beagle voyage was one of extraordinary activity and productivity in which he became recognised as a naturalist of outstanding ability, as an author and editor, and as a professional…
Matches: 20 hits
- … The seven-year period following Darwin's return to England from the Beagle voyage was one …
- … the publication of the Zoology of the voyage of H.M.S. Beagle , for which he described the …
- … a family Busy as he was with scientific activities, Darwin found time to re-establish family …
- … close contact. In November 1838, two years after his return, Darwin became engaged to his cousin, …
- … touching in the concern they show for one another’s sensibilities. Early in 1839 the couple set up …
- … daughter, Anne Elizabeth, moved to Down House in Kent, where Darwin was to spend the rest of his …
- … his greatest theoretical achievement, the most important of Darwin’s activities during the years …
- … a result of thinking about the significance of John Gould’s and Richard Owen’s identifications of …
- … in species. With this new theoretical point of departure Darwin continued to make notes and explore …
- … present in the version of 1859. Young author Darwin’s investigation of the species …
- … the Beagle had returned to England, news of some of Darwin’s findings had been spread by the …
- … and set in type by November 1837, though not published until 1839, when it appeared as the third …
- … letters have suffered an even more severe loss. In a letter to Lyell’s sister-in-law, Katharine …
- … of fact . . . on the origin & variation of species” ( Letter to J. S. Henslow, [November 1839] …
- … that he had a sound solution to what J. F. W. Herschel in a letter to Lyell had called the ‘mystery …
- … about searching for evidence to support his hypothesis. In a letter to Lyell, [14] September [1838 …
- … just the same, though I know what I am looking for' ( Letter to G. R. Waterhouse, [26 July …
- … Marriage Darwin married Emma Wedgwood in January 1839. His hopes and fears about married life …
- … there were no doubts as to how one ought to act’ ( Letter from Emma Darwin, [ c. February 1839] …
- … for several months (See Correspondence vol. 1, letter to Caroline Darwin, 13 October 1834 , …
Science: A Man’s World?
Summary
Discussion Questions|Letters Darwin's correspondence show that many nineteenth-century women participated in the world of science, be it as experimenters, observers, editors, critics, producers, or consumers. Despite this, much of the…
Matches: 9 hits
- … Discussion Questions | Letters Darwin's correspondence show that many nineteenth …
- … Letters Darwin’s Notes On Marriage [April - July 1838] In these notes, …
- … theories, & accumulating facts in silence & solitude”. Darwin also comments that he has …
- … an hour “with poor Mrs. Lyell sitting by”. Letter 3715 - Claparède, J. L. R. A. E. to …
- … whose attractions are not those of her sex”. Letter 4038 - Darwin to Lyell, C., [12-13 …
- … ornaments in the making of feminine works”. Letter 4441 - Becker, L. E. to Darwin, [30 …
- … the young, especially ladies, to study nature. Letter 4940 - Cresy, E. to Darwin, E., …
- … Anderson is “neither masculine nor pedantic”. Letter 6976 - Darwin to Blackwell, A. B., …
- … to women. Letter 10746 – Darwin to Dicey, E. M., [1877] Darwin gives his …
Natural Science and Femininity
Summary
Discussion Questions|Letters A conflation of masculine intellect and feminine thoughts, habits and feelings, male naturalists like Darwin inhabited an uncertain gendered identity. Working from the private domestic comfort of their homes and exercising…
Matches: 15 hits
- … thoughts, habits and feelings, male naturalists like Darwin inhabited an uncertain gendered identity …
- … feminine powers of feeling and aesthetic appreciation, Darwin and his male colleagues struggled to …
- … Britain? Letters Letter 109 - Wedgwood, J. to Darwin, …
- … pursuit of real, professional work on his return. Letter 158 - Darwin to Darwin, R. W., …
- … colour and “beauty” of tropical vegetation. Letter 542 - Darwin to Wedgwood, C. S., [27 …
- … meals, family time and walks into town with Emma. Letter 555 - Darwin to FitzRoy, R., …
- … his two-month-old “animalcule of a son", William. Darwin’s roles as father and scientists were …
- … ‘ A Biographical Sketch of an Infant ’. Letter 2781 - Doubleday, H. to Darwin, [3 May …
- … them in the north-facing borders of his garden. Letter 2864 - Darwin to Hooker, J. D., …
- … and “never saw anything so beautiful”. Letter 4230 - Darwin to Gardeners’ Chronicle, [2 …
- … the house immediately after a rain storm. Here, Darwin’s scientific investigation is inextricably …
- … at least provide Darwin with aesthetic pleasure. Letter 4436 - Darwin to Hooker, J. D., …
- … a fellow of Trinity would be far more useful in George’s pursuit of a profession. Gove maintained …
- … experiments he is undertaking in his home to test Wallace’s theory that birds reject highly-coloured …
- … conducted in his home. Letter 6453 - Langton, E. to Wedgwood, S. E., [9 November 1868] …
Religion
Summary
Design|Personal Belief|Beauty|The Church Perhaps the most notorious realm of controversy over evolution in Darwin's day was religion. The same can be said of the evolution controversy today; however the nature of the disputes and the manner in…
Matches: 19 hits
- … the most notorious realm of controversy over evolution in Darwin's day was religion. The same …
- … nineteenth century were different in important ways. Many of Darwin's leading supporters were …
- … much as possible. A number of correspondents tried to draw Darwin out on his own religious views, …
- … political contexts. Design Darwin was not the first to challenge …
- … on the controversial topic of design. The first is between Darwin and Harvard botanist Asa Gray, …
- … everything is the result of “brute force”. Letter 2855 — Darwin, C. R. to Gray, Asa, 3 …
- … nature, as he is in a “muddle” on this issue. Letter 3256 — Darwin, C. R. to Gray, Asa, …
- … shares a witty thought experiment about an angel. Letter 3342 — Darwin, C. R. to Gray, …
- … He asks Gray some questions about design. Letter 6167 — Darwin, C. R. to Gray, Asa, 8 …
- … constant watching of an intelligent ‘chooser’ like man's selection to which you so often …
- … to Graham, William, 3 July 1881 Darwin praises Graham’s Creed of science , but disagrees …
- … chance” but has horrid doubt whether convictions of man’s mind, which has been developed from lower …
- … Letter 471 — Darwin, Emma to Darwin, C. R., [c. Feb 1839] Emma discusses Darwin’s religious …
- … He can give me.” Letter 5303 — Boole, M. E. to Darwin, C. R., 13 Dec 1866 In this …
- … Letter 5307 — Darwin, C. R. to Boole, M. E., 14 Dec 1866 Darwin believes he is unable to …
- … Letter 8070 — Darwin, C. R. to Abbot, F. E., 16 Nov [1871] Darwin explains why he must …
- … Letter 12757 — Darwin, C. R. to Aveling, E. B., 13 Oct 1880 In this letter marked “private”, …
- … Future Plans Letter 182 — Darwin, E. A. to Darwin, C. R., 18 Aug [1832] Darwin’s …
- … regarding the Church. Letter 297 — Darwin, S. E. to Darwin, C. R., 12 Feb 1836 …
Darwin’s observations on his children
Summary
Charles Darwin’s observations on the development of his children, began the research that culminated in his book The Expression of the emotions in man and animals, published in 1872, and his article ‘A biographical sketch of an infant’, published in Mind…
Matches: 17 hits
- … Charles Darwin’s observations on the development of his children,[1] began the research that …
- … is available below . As with much of his other work, Darwin gathered additional information on the …
- … races, lunatics, the blind, and animals. And as early as 1839 Darwin had begun to collect …
- … the expression of emotions. As the following transcript of Darwin’s notes reveals, he closely …
- … The tone of the manuscript reflects an aspect of Darwin’s character clearly perceived by Emma during …
- … “What does that prove”.’[6] For in these notes, Darwin’s deep scientific curiosity transcends his …
- … that on occasion he refers to William as ‘it’. Darwin possessed the ability to dissociate …
- … memories.[8] Yet, though the dissociation was essential for Darwin’s scientific goal, the notes here …
- … of frowning, smiling, etc., as was the focus of Darwin’s attention on William and Anne, she noted …
- … until July 1856, when the observations ceased. Darwin’s later entries, like Emma’s, focus on the …
- … 1 [9] W. Erasmus. Darwin born. Dec. 27 th . 1839.—[10] During first week. yawned, streatched …
- … during first fortnight at sudden sounds. & at Emma’s moving 3 [11] When one month …
- … set him crying again He does not easily catch a person’s eye & is not easily attracted …
- … our door N o 12 and N o 11 is in the slit for the Letter box.— he decidedly ran past N o 11 …
- … has learned them from my sometimes changing the first letter in any word he is using—thus I say …
- … , pp. 131–2. [6] Correspondence vol. 2, letter from Emma Wedgwood, [23 January 1839] . …
- … books that she could recall encountering as a child (H. E. Litchfield papers, CUL). [60] …
The evolution of honeycomb
Summary
Honeycombs are natural engineering marvels, using the least possible amount of wax to provide the greatest amount of storage space, with the greatest possible structural stability. Darwin recognised that explaining the evolution of the honey-bee’s comb…
Matches: 20 hits
- … space, with the greatest possible structural stability. Darwin recognised that explaining the …
- … thought, to a governing intelligence. In Lord Brougham’s Dissertations on subjects connected with …
- … suppose when we recollect who is her teacher’ (Brougham 1839, 1: 35, 77). William Kirby wrote of the …
- … could have been given to it’ (Kirby 1852, 2: 246). Darwin’s copy of Brougham’s …
- … instance, if my theory explains one it may explain other.’ Darwin, and others working on …
- … if it could not explain bee cells, it was radically flawed. Darwin needed to show two things: first, …
- … no bee in the world ever made cylindrical cells (Brougham 1839, 1: 32). However, Darwin knew that …
- … construct: for example, birds’ nests are usually circular. Darwin argued that if the Melipona …
- … The second point, how bees actually built the comb, involved Darwin in a great deal of …
- … on the subject for a projected book on the species question, Darwin wrote to George Robert …
- … antagonistic principles and the proximity of other cells. Darwin’s letter has not been found, but …
- … were not subject to the space constraints of other cells. (Letter from G. R. Waterhouse, 14 April …
- … diameter being determined by her power of reaching.’ (Letter from G. R. Waterhouse, 10 February …
- … were exercising their minds on the problem. In his next letter, Waterhouse described wasps’ nests …
- … formal constraints as a group of bees working together. (Letter from G. R. Waterhouse, 13 February …
- … was still exercising his mind on the subjects of wasp’s nests. He sent another long letter to Darwin …
- … the other straight sides that were bounded by other cells (letter from G. R. Waterhouse, 17 April …
- … Proceedings of the Entomological Society of London n.s. 5: 17–18 is reproduced here: …
- … arranged to look at Tegetmeier’s piece of honeycomb (letter to W. B. Tegetmeier, [21 April 1858] …
- … described their manner of building’ (letter to W. E. Darwin, [26 May 1858] .) To Tegetmeier, he …
Darwin in letters, 1879: Tracing roots
Summary
Darwin spent a considerable part of 1879 in the eighteenth century. His journey back in time started when he decided to publish a biographical account of his grandfather Erasmus Darwin to accompany a translation of an essay on Erasmus’s evolutionary ideas…
Matches: 16 hits
- … There are summaries of all Darwin's letters from the year 1879 on this website. The full texts …
- … 27 of the print edition of The correspondence of Charles Darwin , published by Cambridge …
- … to publish a biographical account of his grandfather Erasmus Darwin to accompany a translation of an …
- … the sensitivity of the tips. Despite this breakthrough, when Darwin first mentioned the book to his …
- … of his son Horace to Ida Farrer, stepdaughter of Darwin’s niece Katherine Euphemia Farrer (Effie), …
- … wrinkles one all over like a baked pear’ ( enclosure in letter from R. W. Dixon, 20 December 1879 …
- … itself, or gone some other way round?’ At least the last letter of 1879 contained a warmer note and …
- … he was to be visited by a person from his solicitor’s office to complete Horace’s marriage …
- … & would please Francis’, he pointed out ( letter from E. A. Darwin, 13 March [1879 ]). …
- … thought ‘perfect in every way’ ( letter from E. A. Wheler, 25 March 1879 ). She suggested that …
- … and Darwin had not met (nor, it seems, corresponded) since 1839, but because Darwin’s name was so …
- … … neither cross nor ennuied’ (Emma Darwin to W. E. Darwin, [4 August 1879] (DAR 219.1: 125)). Darwin …
- … say that he has opposed it’ (letter from Emma Darwin to W. E. Darwin, [4 August 1879] (DAR 219.1: …
- … get home ‘& began drumming at once’ (Emma Darwin to H. E. Litchfield, [27 August 1879] (DAR 219 …
- … it dominated the picture (letter from Emma Darwin to H. E. Litchfield, [17 July 1879] (DAR 219.9: …
- … men of science quarrelled (letter from Emma Darwin to W. E. Darwin, [6 September 1879] (DAR 219.1: …
Controversy
Summary
The best-known controversies over Darwinian theory took place in public or in printed reviews. Many of these were highly polemical, presenting an over-simplified picture of the disputes. Letters, however, show that the responses to Darwin were extremely…
Matches: 18 hits
- … the disputes. Letters, however, show that the responses to Darwin were extremely variable. Many of …
- … was itself an important arena of debate, one that Darwin greatly preferred to the public sphere. …
- … and support sustained in spite of enduring differences. Darwin's correspondence can thus help …
- … Disagreement and Respect Darwin rarely engaged with critics publically. Letters exchanged …
- … Richard Owen, the eminent comparative anatomist, show how Darwin tried to manage strong disagreement …
- … were less severe, the relationship quickly deteriorated and Darwin came to regard him as a bitter …
- … John Murray to send him a copy of Origin . Darwin’s conclusion is diametrically opposed to that …
- … of a spirit of bravado, but a want of respect. Letter 2548 — Sedgwick, Adam to Darwin, …
- … of brotherly love and as his true-hearted friend. Letter 2555 — Darwin, C. R. to …
- … classes of facts”. Darwin and Owen Letter 2526 — Owen, Richard to Darwin, C. …
- … of living species” and so could not regard Darwin’s attempt to demonstrate the nature of such …
- … he goes immense way with us”, but emphasises Owen’s unfriendly manner. Darwin remarks that Owen …
- … his book “the law of higgledy-piggledy”. Letter 2580 — Darwin, C. R. to Owen, Richard, …
- … his views now depends on men eminent in science. Letter 2767 — Darwin, C. R. to Gray, …
- … Harvard botanist Asa Gray. Darwin is annoyed at Owen’s malignity [ Edinburgh Rev. 111 (1860): 487 …
- … prevail without such aggressive tactics. Letter 5500 — Darwin, C. R. to Haeckel, E. P. …
- … reader to take the side of the attacked person. Letter 5533 — Haeckel, E. P. A. to …
- … yet published, although Darwin first sketched his theory in 1839. They give their reasons for …
Darwin in letters,1870: Human evolution
Summary
The year 1870 is aptly summarised by the brief entry Darwin made in his journal: ‘The whole of the year at work on the Descent of Man & Selection in relation to Sex’. Descent was the culmination of over three decades of observations and reflections on…
Matches: 19 hits
- … The year 1870 is aptly summarised by the brief entry Darwin made in his journal: ‘The whole of the …
- … in relation to Sex’. Always precise in his accounting, Darwin reckoned that he had started writing …
- … gathered on each of these topics was far more extensive than Darwin had anticipated. As a result, …
- … and St George Jackson Mivart, and heated debates sparked by Darwin’s proposed election to the French …
- … shall be a man again & not a horrid grinding machine’ ( letter to Charles Lyell, 25 December …
- … anything which has happened to me for some weeks’ ( letter to Albert Günther, 13 January [1870] ) …
- … corrections of style, the more grateful I shall be’ ( letter to H. E. Darwin, [8 February 1870] ) …
- … , the latter when she was just eighteen years of age. Darwin clearly expected her to make a …
- … who wd ever have thought that I shd. turn parson?’ ( letter to H. E. Darwin, [8 February 1870] ). …
- … abt any thing so unimportant as the mind of man!’ ( letter from H. E. Darwin, [after 8 February …
- … writer and philanthropist Frances Power Cobbe. At Cobbe’s suggestion, Darwin read some of Immanuel …
- … thro’ apes & savages at the moral sense of mankind’ ( letter to F. P. Cobbe, 23 March [1870?] …
- … how metaphysics & physics form one great philosophy?’ ( letter from F. P. Cobbe, 28 March [1870 …
- … his statue of Puck, the mischievous fairy in Shakespeare’s A midsummer night’s dream. Darwin …
- … he described as ‘purgatory’ made lighter by Woolner’s ‘wonderfully pleasant’ manner, named the …
- … in thanks for the drawing ( Correspondence vol. 16, letter to J. D. Hooker, 26 November [1868] …
- … his face exhibiting extreme horror. Darwin lent Duchenne’s album to the asylum director James …
- … had begun with observations on his own children as early as 1839. Darwin now recruited family …
- … attending college lectures for the time being ( letter to [E.W. Blore], [October 1870 or later] ). …
Orchids
Summary
Why Orchids? Darwin wrote in his Autobiography, ‘During the summer of 1839, and, I believe, during the previous summer, I was led to attend to the cross-fertilisation of flowers by the aid of insects, from having come to the conclusion in my…
Matches: 16 hits
- … Why Orchids? Darwin wrote in his Autobiography , ‘During the summer of 1839, and, I …
- … crossing were wide-ranging, one group would captivate Darwin like no other. In June 1855, Darwin …
- … when plant has been covered by Bell glass. ’ So began Darwin’s interest in the floral morphology of …
- … a period of intense orchid research, but June 1858 brought a letter that changed Darwin’s focus …
- … but it was published as part of a joint paper by Wallace and Darwin, and led to Darwin’s rush to …
- … in his journal on 9 January 1860, ‘Began looking over M.S. for Work on Variation (with many …
- … referred to it, appeared in May 1862 ( Orchids ). A letter to Hooker, on 5 June [1860] …
- … think of the case.’ Indeed, Darwin had just sent a long letter to Gardeners’ Chronicle asking …
- … Darwin hoped to enlist readers of the Entomologist’s Weekly Intelligencer , and wrote to the …
- … of the question your being able to insert the whole [of the letter to Gardeners’ Chronicle ] in …
- … of Orchids have been found adhering. ’ The complete letter to Gardeners’ Chronicle was …
- … see, a curious contradiction in structure. ’ The letter to Asa Gray highlights an important …
- … work’ and the worry over his daughter Henrietta’s illness. Gathering Evidence The …
- … in detail. He even dared to challenge George Bentham’s classification of the species in a different …
- … Darwin added, ‘ I shall be most grateful for the E. palustris and it will be all the better for me …
- … of the functional significance of this structure in a letter to More on 5 August 1860, ‘ Dr. H. is …
Darwin in letters, 1877: Flowers and honours
Summary
Ever since the publication of Expression, Darwin’s research had centred firmly on botany. The year 1877 was no exception. The spring and early summer were spent completing Forms of flowers, his fifth book on a botanical topic. He then turned to the…
Matches: 25 hits
- … Ever since the publication of Expression , Darwin’s research had centred firmly on botany. The …
- … of these projects would culminate in a major publication. Darwin’s botany was increasingly a …
- … his wife, Amy, the previous year. He assisted his father’s research on movement and bloom, and …
- … The year 1877 was more than usually full of honours. Darwin received two elaborate photograph albums …
- … from Germany, Austria, and the Netherlands. Closer to home, Darwin received an honorary Doctorate of …
- … sites for possible earthworm activity. Now in his 69th year, Darwin remained remarkably productive, …
- … no controversy. In his autobiographical reflections, Darwin remarked: ‘no little discovery of …
- … (‘Recollections’, p. 419). During the winter and spring, Darwin was busy preparing the manuscript of …
- … and presented to the Linnean Society of London. In the book, Darwin adopted the more recent term …
- … of respect and affection’. He hinted as much in his letter of 4 June : ‘you will see I have done …
- … warned Thiselton-Dyer, who seems to have shared Hooker’s suspicion of ambitious gardeners ( letter …
- … method of recording leaf motion for extended periods. In a letter to Thiselton-Dyer of 11 October …
- … … tap one of the young leaves with a delicate twig’ ( letter to R. I. Lynch, 14 September 1877 ). …
- … enjoyed working with Francis, and encouraged his son’s independent research. Using the facilities at …
- … diet of meat. His findings answered a number of Darwin’s critics who had questioned whether plants …
- … glandular hairs in the cups formed by the leaves of fuller’s teasel ( Dipsacus sylvestris , a …
- … , or to the vibratory flagella of some Infusoria’ ( letter from F. J. Cohn, 5 August 1877 ). …
- … in July 1877 (F. Darwin 1877b), and Darwin sent Cohn’s letter vindicating his son’s research to …
- … was based on a notebook of observations he had begun in 1839 with the birth of his first child, …
- … of Kosmos covering the German debate (letters to W. E. Gladstone, 2 October 1877 and 25 …
- … his sense of form and of motion was exact and lively’ ( letter from W. E. Gladstone, 23 October …
- … the Westphalian Provincial Society for Science and Art. In a letter to Darwin written before 16 …
- … found him as soft & smooth as butter’ ( letter to C. E. Norton, 16 March 1877 ). Hooker was …
- … the gospel of dirt the order of the day’ ( letter from E. A. Darwin, 27 January [1877] ). Carlyle …
- … study of medical monstrosity ( letter from C. T. E. Siebold, 10 October 1877 ). An American banker …
Darwin in letters, 1867: A civilised dispute
Summary
Charles Darwin’s major achievement in 1867 was the completion of his large work, The variation of animals and plants under domestication (Variation). The importance of Darwin’s network of correspondents becomes vividly apparent in his work on expression in…
Matches: 23 hits
- … Charles Darwin’s major achievement in 1867 was the completion of his large work, The …
- … couple of months were needed to index the work, a task that Darwin handed over to someone else for …
- … and animals ( Expression ), published in 1872. Although Darwin had been collecting material and …
- … A global reputation The importance of Darwin’s network of correspondents becomes vividly …
- … who might best answer the questions, with the result that Darwin began to receive replies from …
- … Variation would be based on proof-sheets received as Darwin corrected them. Closer to home, two …
- … Charles Fleeming Jenkin, challenged different aspects of Darwin’s theory of transmutation as …
- … orchids are fertilised by insects ( Orchids ). While Darwin privately gave detailed opinions of …
- … Thomas Henry Huxley sent Darwin the New Year’s greeting, ‘may you be eupeptic through 1867 & …
- … under Domestication’. Having just received the printer’s estimate of the size of the two-volume work …
- … suppose abuse is as good as praise for selling a Book’ ( letter to John Murray, 31 January [1867] …
- … to the printer, but without the additional chapter. In a letter written on 8 February [1867] to …
- … books, Descent and Expression . In the same letter, Darwin revealed the conclusion to his …
- … the year progressed, the book continued to consume Darwin’s time. The first proof-sheets arrived on …
- … variation of animals and plants under domestication . In a letter to his son William dated 27 …
- … recommended by Carl Vogt and had translated Vogt’s own Vorlesungen über den Menschen (Lectures …
- … of his brother’s embryological papers with his first letter to Darwin of 15 March 1867 , although …
- … . Indeed, he told his publisher, John Murray, in a letter of 4 April [1867] , not to send …
- … tell me, at what rate your work will be published’ ( letter from J. V. Carus, 5 April 1867 ). This …
- … & sent to him, he may wish to give up the task’ ( letter to Carl Vogt, 12 April [1867] ). …
- … fit person’ to introduce the work to the German public ( letter from J. V. Carus, 15 April 1867 ). …
- … her, & as it seems very unjustly’ ( letter to W. E. Darwin, 27 [March 1867] ). Unfortunately, …
- … are excellent, excellent, excellent’ ( letter to H. E. Darwin, 26 July [1867] ). The year ended as …
Darwin's bad days
Summary
Despite being a prolific worker who had many successes with his scientific theorising and experimenting, even Darwin had some bad days. These times when nothing appeared to be going right are well illustrated by the following quotations from his letters:
Matches: 1 hits
- … with his scientific theorising and experimenting, even Darwin had some bad days. These times when …
Darwin and the Church
Summary
The story of Charles Darwin’s involvement with the church is one that is told far too rarely. It shows another side of the man who is more often remembered for his personal struggles with faith, or for his role in large-scale controversies over the…
Matches: 17 hits
- … The story of Charles Darwin’s involvement with the church is one that is told far too rarely. It …
- … unique window into this complicated relationship throughout Darwin’s life, as it reveals his …
- … belief (and doubt) than many non-conformist denominations. Darwin’s parents attended a Unitarian …
- … A nominal adherence to the Anglican Church’s teachings was still essential for admittance to many of …
- … the necessary studies to be a clergyman. During Darwin’s lifetime, the vast majority of the …
- … income was essential to enjoy a gentlemanly lifestyle. For Darwin, who could rely on the financial …
- … compatible with the pursuit of scientific interests. Indeed, Darwin’s Cambridge mentor, John Stevens …
- … on every side his own snug ivy-covered house’ (Blackwood’s Edinburgh Magazine (1887): 321). …
- … & I can see it even through a grove of Palms.—’ (letter to Caroline Darwin, 25–6 April [1832] …
- … wrote to the contrary: ‘I am sorry to see in your last letter that you still look forward to the …
- … near the British Museum or some other learned place’ (letter from E. A. Darwin, 18 August [1832] …
- … it is a sort of scene I never ought to think about—’ (letter to W. D. Fox, [9–12 August] 1835 ). …
- … from the late 1830s, and in correspondence with his fiancée, Emma Wedgwood, in 1838 and 1839, as can …
- … However, what remains is cordial; in the first extant letter of the correspondence, Darwin wrote to …
- … (a local charity), which he administered from 1848 to 1869 (letter to J. B. Innes, [8 May 1848] …
- … he would make an excellent Guardian [of the Poor Fund]’ (letter to J. W. Lubbock, 28 March [1854] …
- … Victorian clergy. London: Croom Helm. Keppel, T. E. 1887. The country parson as he was, and as …
Darwin in letters, 1861: Gaining allies
Summary
The year 1861 marked an important change in the direction of Darwin’s work. He had weathered the storm that followed the publication of Origin, and felt cautiously optimistic about the ultimate acceptance of his ideas. The letters from this year provide an…
Matches: 23 hits
- … The year 1861 marked an important change in the direction of Darwin’s work. By then, he had …
- … propagation, hybridism, and other phenomena that, as Darwin said in his Autobiography , he had …
- … provide an unusually detailed and intimate understanding of Darwin’s problem-solving method of work …
- … 1860 that a new edition of Origin was called for, Darwin took the opportunity to include in the …
- … of natural selection. With this work behind him, Darwin took steps to convince those who …
- … friend Asa Gray to reprint and distribute in Britain Gray’s series of review-essays on this topic …
- … will do me & Natural Selection, right good service’ ( letter to Asa Gray, 26–7 Februrary [1861] …
- … pamphlet (see Correspondence vol. 9, Appendix III). However, Darwin himself remained unconvinced by …
- … began to decline later in the year, scientific interest in Darwin’s views continued unabated and …
- … the third edition and the comments of naturalists with whom Darwin corresponded, showed that a …
- … by George Maw, for example, singled out Darwin’s explanation of the numerous instances of the …
- … ‘barometer’ of scientific opinion, Charles Lyell ( see letter to Charles Lyell, 20 July [1861] ). …
- … selection could not be ‘directly proved’ ( see second letter to J. D. Hooker, 23 [April 1861] ). …
- … disappointed to learn of John Frederick William Herschel’s initial cool response to his argument; he …
- … and convert to his theory, Darwin learned of Mill’s view that the reasoning throughout Origin …
- … with the strict principles of Logic’ and that Darwin’s methodology was ‘the only one proper to such …
- … or against some view if it is to be of any service!’ ( letter to Henry Fawcett, 18 September [1861] …
- … chapter on the imperfection of the geological record ( see letter to George Maw, 19 July [1861] ). …
- … he planned to report ‘at a favourable opportunity’ ( letter from Joseph Leidy, 4 March [1861] ). …
- … laboratory where Nature manufactures her new species’ ( letter from H. W. Bates, 28 March [1861] ) …
- … study of natural history was evident. He told Darwin in his letter of [1 December] 1861: …
- … would so ‘be at once an almost rich man’ ( letter to W. E. Darwin, [26 May 1861] ). The …
- … respectable persons on your own account’ ( letter to W. E. Darwin, 17 [October 1861] ). He also …
Darwin in letters, 1858-1859: Origin
Summary
The years 1858 and 1859 were, without doubt, the most momentous of Darwin’s life. From a quiet rural existence filled with steady work on his ‘big book’ on species, he was jolted into action by the arrival of an unexpected letter from Alfred Russel Wallace…
Matches: 19 hits
- … 1858 and 1859 were, without doubt, the most momentous of Darwin’s life. From a quiet rural existence …
- … he was jolted into action by the arrival of an unexpected letter from Alfred Russel Wallace. This …
- … the composition and publication, in November 1859, of Darwin’s major treatise On the origin of …
- … exceeded my wildest hopes By the end of 1859, Darwin’s work was being discussed in …
- … has infinitely exceeded my wildest hopes.—’ ( letter to Charles Lyell, 25 [November 1859] ). …
- … The 'big book' The year 1858 opened with Darwin hard at work preparing his ‘big …
- … his ninth chapter, on hybridism, on 29 December 1857, Darwin began in January 1858 to prepare the …
- … appropriate. The correspondence shows that at any one time Darwin was engaged in a number of …
- … The chapter on instinct posed a number of problems for Darwin. ‘I find my chapter on Instinct very …
- … to choose from the load of curious facts on record.—’ ( letter to W. D. Fox, 31 January [1858] ). …
- … as it took place in the hive. As with Darwin’s study of poultry and pigeons, many other …
- … for on this view wherever many closely related species, (i.e. species of the same genus) have been …
- … as evidence for what actually occurred in nature ( see letter to Asa Gray, 4 April [1858] , and …
- … sent his manuscript off to Hooker for his comments. Darwin’s relief on hearing of Hooker’s approval …
- … throwing away what you have seen,’ he told Hooker in his letter of 8 [June 1858] , ‘yet I have …
- … his work was interrupted by the arrival of the now-famous letter from Alfred Russel Wallace, …
- … selection. Darwin’s shock and dismay is evident in the letter he subsequently wrote to Charles Lyell …
- … Even his terms now stand as Heads of my Chapters.’ ( letter to Charles Lyell, 18 [June 1858] ). …
- … much more larky since we run two horses’ ( letter to W. E. Darwin, 6 October [1858] ). Visitors to …
