To John Murray 13 June [1862]
Down. | Bromley. | Kent. S.E.
June 13th
My dear Sir
You were so kind as to say that, I might have electrotypes of woodcuts for a German edition.1 I wrote to M. Schweizerbart of Stuttgart to say that if he continued to wish for German Edition, he must pay to you £10 for them, which will leave a few pounds profit, I believe, over the cost.2 There are 34 (several very small); for the embellishment I shd. think need not be sent.3 He wishes to have them immediately, but does not say how they are to be sent; you will probably know; & asks how he is to pay you the £10; whether by a note from London? You will have to send to Taylor & Francis for the 2 they have.—4
I am heartily sorry to give so much trouble, & here follows more.—
Prof. Asa Gray doubts whether at present an American Edit. can be published; but he wishes to know what you would charge for electrotypes of all.5 Fix what you think right, but remember if you fix high there will be no chance of Edition.— Please answer all my queries soon.— Again Asa Gray wishes to review the Book in Sillimans Journal (an admirable Journal) & wishes for cuts of Nos I., II., & III.:6 if you are inclined to grant me this favour (which would please me) I will pay for these 3 cuts. Asa Gray says he wishes for them immediately. I do not understand their manufacture; but he says “not to be mounted” & sent through Trübner;7 or what what would be better for the “electrotype copper casts to be put in light Box & sent by Post, & postage would hardly be more than 1s.”.— But I fancy the “casts” would be required for the German cuts; but I do not in the least understand the subject.— Please act as you think fit. Again I say I am sorry to give so much trouble.—
The Botanists praise my orchid-book to the skies.—8 Some one sent me (perhaps you) the Parthenon with good Review.—9 The Athenæum treats me with very kind pity & contempt; but the Reviewer knew nothing of his subject.10
Yours very sincerely | C. Darwin
I wish I had asked Schweizerbart a higher sum; for he evidently is glad to pay the 10£; but it is too late now.—
Please write soon.—
Footnotes
Bibliography
Correspondence: The correspondence of Charles Darwin. Edited by Frederick Burkhardt et al. 29 vols to date. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 1985–.
Orchids: On the various contrivances by which British and foreign orchids are fertilised by insects, and on the good effects of intercrossing. By Charles Darwin. London: John Murray. 1862.
‘Three sexual forms of Catasetum tridentatum’: On the three remarkable sexual forms of Catasetum tridentatum, an orchid in the possession of the Linnean Society. By Charles Darwin. [Read 3 April 1862.] Journal of the Proceedings of the Linnean Society (Botany) 6 (1862): 151–7. [Collected papers 2: 63–70.]
Summary
CD orders electrotypes for German edition of Orchids.
Asa Gray doubts an American publication is possible but will review it in Sillimans Journal.
[British] botanists have praised it. Other reviews.
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-3602
- From
- Charles Robert Darwin
- To
- John Murray
- Sent from
- Down
- Source of text
- National Library of Scotland (John Murray Archive) (Ms.42152 ff. 120–122)
- Physical description
- ALS 6pp
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 3602,” accessed on 31 March 2023, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-3602.xml
Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 10