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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: 19 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 …
- … many blessings, was finding old age ‘a dismal time’ ( letter to Henry Johnson, 24 September 1879 ) …
- … 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 …
- … office to complete Horace’s marriage settlement ( letter from W. M. Hacon, 31 December 1879 ). …
- … but they were ‘as nice and good as could be’ ( letter from Karl Beger, [ c. 12 February 1879] ) …
- … with Charles Darwin and Ernst Haeckel. Kosmos was, as Francis Darwin reported from Germany that …
- … the children correctly’, mentioning in particular that Francis Galton was the son of one of Erasmus …
- … to contradict false statements that had been published by Francis Galton’s aunt, Mary Anne …
- … for Captain Robert FitzRoy on the Beagle voyage, Francis Beaufort of the Admiralty described the …
- … and poet’ ( Correspondence vol. 1, letter from Francis Beaufort to Robert FitzRoy, 1 September …
- … ‘almost indispensable’ ( letter from Ernst Krause, 7 June 1879 ). Darwin welcomed Krause’s …
- … meet the local celebrity, John Ruskin. Marshall wrote on 7 September that Ruskin, the day after …
- … dogma’, Mary Jung, a young Austrian woman, wrote on 7 January . ‘When my reason agrees with your …
- … be an atheist, Darwin told the clergyman John Fordyce on 7 May , ‘It seems to me absurd to doubt …
- … work in such an outstanding way’, Würtenberger wrote on 7 February , after receiving £100 from …
Darwin in letters, 1878: Movement and sleep
Summary
In 1878, Darwin devoted most of his attention to the movements of plants. He investigated the growth pattern of roots and shoots, studying the function of specific organs in this process. Working closely with his son Francis, Darwin devised a series of…
Matches: 23 hits
- … lessen injury to leaves from radiation In 1878, Darwin devoted most of his attention to …
- … organs in this process. Working closely with his son Francis, Darwin devised a series of experiments …
- … of most advanced plant laboratories in Europe. While Francis was away, Darwin delighted in …
- … from botanical research was provided by potatoes, as Darwin took up the cause of an Irish …
- … would rid Ireland of famine. Several correspondents pressed Darwin for his views on religion, …
- … closed with remarkable news of a large legacy bequeathed to Darwin by a stranger as a reward for his …
- … Hooker, ‘or as far as I know any scientific man’ ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 14 December [1878] ). …
- … Expression ), and the final revision of Origin (1872), Darwin had turned almost exclusively to …
- … in the shape of an arch ( Movement in plants , pp. 96–7). As usual, staff at the Royal Botanical …
- … or arched.… Almost all seedlings come up arched’ ( letter to Sophy Wedgwood, 24 March [1878–80] ). …
- … (see Movement in plants , pp. 112–13). He explained to Francis on 2 July : ‘I go on maundering …
- … when he finds out that he missed sensitiveness of apex’ ( letter to Francis Darwin, [11 May 1878] …
- … the bassoon & apparently more by a high than a low note.’ Francis apparently played the musical …
- … Darwin complained. ‘I am ashamed at my blunder’ ( letter to John Tyndall, 22 December [1878] ). …
- … on plant movement were intensely collaborative, with Francis playing a more active role than ever. …
- … accursed German language: Sachs is very kind to him’ ( letter to W. T. Thiselton-Dyer, 18 June …
- … have nobody to talk to, about my work, I scribble to you ( letter to Francis Darwin, 7 [July 1878] …
- … but it is horrid not having you to discuss it with’ ( letter to Francis Darwin, 20 [July 1878] ). …
- … Francis reported ( letter from Francis Darwin, [after 7 July 1878] ): ‘The oats have only just …
- … the bedded out one’ ( letter from Francis Darwin, [after 7 July 1878] ). Sachs’s confidence was …
- … are here & all adoring Bernard’, he wrote to Francis on 7 July . ‘Bernard is very sweet & …
- … to refuse,’ he wrote to William Spottiswoode on 7 July . Pinker later made a statue of Darwin for …
- … generations’ ( enclosure to letter to T. H. Farrer, 7 March 1878 ). In the end, the attempt to …
Darwin in letters, 1881: Old friends and new admirers
Summary
In May 1881, Darwin, one of the best-known celebrities in England if not the world, began writing about all the eminent men he had met. He embarked on this task, which formed an addition to his autobiography, because he had nothing else to do. He had…
Matches: 26 hits
- … In May 1881, Darwin, one of the best-known celebrities in England if not the world, began …
- … a very old man, who probably will not last much longer.’ Darwin’s biggest fear was not death, but …
- … sweetest place on this earth’. From the start of the year, Darwin had his demise on his mind. He …
- … provision for the dividing of his wealth after his death. Darwin’s gloominess was compounded by the …
- … and new admirers got in touch, and, for all his fears, Darwin found several scientific topics to …
- … Evolution old and new when revising his essay on Erasmus Darwin’s scientific work, and that Darwin …
- … in Unconscious memory in November 1880 and in an abusive letter about Darwin in the St James’s …
- … memory in Kosmos and sent Darwin a separate letter for publication in the Journal of Popular …
- … of the false accusation’. Other friends rallied round. Francis Balfour translated Krause’s account …
- … had been a major undertaking for both Darwin and his son Francis, who assisted in the many …
- … publishers decided to print ‘500 more, making 2000’ ( letter to H. E. Litchfield, 4 January 1881 ) …
- … 31 January [1881] and 19 February [1881] ). On 7 March , Darwin sent his discussion of the …
- … the animal learnt from its own individual experience ( letter from G. J. Romanes, 7 March 1881 ). …
- … whether observations of their behaviour were trustworthy ( letter to Francis Galton, 8 March [1881] …
- … about the sale of books being ‘a game of chance’ ( letter to R. F. Cooke, 12 April 1881 ). On 18 …
- … July, sending the pages to Germany for further checks by Francis Darwin, who was spending the summer …
- … Ruskin, who lived there. Sending the last two chapters to Francis on 27 May , Darwin wrote, …
- … to begin any new subject requiring much work’, he told Francis Darwin on 30 May . ‘I have been …
- … case.’ An additional motivation may have been to support Francis Darwin’s published research on …
- … Darwin tried a variety of plants and reagents, telling Francis on 17 October , ‘I have wasted …
- … up the job; but I cannot endure to do this’, Darwin told Francis on 9 November , and writing …
- … for more suggestions of such plants, especially annuals ( letter to W. T. Thiselton-Dyer, 21 March …
- … supposed he would feel ‘less sulky in a day or two’ ( letter to R. F. Cooke, 29 July 1881 ). The …
- … judge this seems true’, Darwin reported to Romanes on 7 August . Family joys An …
- … 1881 ). The publication date was 10 October, but by 7 October Darwin learned that 1200 copies …
- … in 1881, the year ended with the happy news of a birth. On 7 December, Charles and Emma Darwin’s …
Darwin's in letters, 1873: Animal or vegetable?
Summary
Having laboured for nearly five years on human evolution, sexual selection, and the expression of emotions, Darwin was able to devote 1873 almost exclusively to his beloved plants. He resumed work on the digestive powers of sundews and Venus fly traps, and…
Matches: 23 hits
- … evolution, sexual selection, and the expression of emotions, Darwin was able to devote 1873 almost …
- … (1875) and Cross and self fertilisation (1876). Darwin’s son Francis became increasingly …
- … career to become his father’s scientific secretary. Darwin had always relied on assistance from …
- … the previous year. As was typical, readers wrote to Darwin personally to offer suggestions, …
- … some of which were incorporated in a later edition. Darwin also contributed to discussions in the …
- … in animals. The subject was brought closer to home by Francis Galton’s work on inherited talent, …
- … Station at Naples. Plants that eat and feel? Darwin had resumed experiments on the …
- … I omitted to observe, which I ought to have observed” ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 12 January [1873] …
- … work your wicked will on it—root leaf & branch!” ( letter from J. D. Hooker, 12 January 1873 ) …
- … Poisons and electrocution . . . His son Francis was assisting the histologist Edward Emanuel …
- … of medical research in London. On the advice of Klein, Francis obtained a new microscope for his …
- … parts of the flower would become modified & correlated” ( letter to T. H. Farrer, 14 August …
- … it again, “for Heaven knows when it will be ready” ( letter to John Murray, 4 May [1873] ). …
- … on botany, he drew more on assistance from his son Francis. While visiting his fiancée, Amy Ruck, in …
- … we take notes and take tracings of their burrows” ( letter from Francis Darwin, 14 August [1873] ) …
- … in importance; and if so more places will be created” ( letter to E. A. Darwin, 20 September 1873 …
- … our unfortunate family being fit for continuous work” ( letter from E. A. Darwin, 25 September …
- … on any point; for I knew my own ignorance before hand” ( letter to George Cupples, 28 April [1873] …
- … “he would fly at the Empr’s throat like a bulldog” ( letter from L. M. Forster to H. E. Litchfield, …
- … privilege to offer” ( letter from E. F. Lubbock, [before 7 April 1873] ). Hooker added: “I have …
- … but he is a deal too sharp” ( letter from J. D. Hooker, [7 April 1873] ). A group of Huxley …
- … than species are permanent” ( letter from John Farr, 7 July 1873 ). Further thoughts on the …
- … past memories” ( letter to A. A. L. P. Cochrane, [after 7 June 1873] ). Darwin did accept …
Movement in Plants
Summary
The power of movement in plants, published on 7 November 1880, was the final large botanical work that Darwin wrote. It was the only work in which the assistance of one of his children, Francis Darwin, is mentioned on the title page. The research for this…
Matches: 23 hits
- … The power of movement in plants , published on 7 November 1880, was the final large botanical work …
- … about their research while he was away from home. Although Darwin lacked a state of the art research …
- … research being pursued by other naturalists who, like Francis, had come to this centre for the study …
- … methods and use the most advanced laboratory equipment. Darwin also benefitted from the instrument …
- … copied but also improved on some of the apparatuses that Francis had been introduced to at Würzburg. …
- … plant physiology, but it was at its core informed by Darwin’s theory of evolution, particularly by …
- … early 1860s, at a time when his health was especially bad, Darwin had taken up the study of climbing …
- … reproduced as a small book, giving it a much wider audience. Darwin was not the first naturalist to …
- … which eventually appeared in 1875. In the same year, Darwin published a much longer work, …
- … had considered combining the works in a single volume ( letter to J. V. Carus, 7 February 1875 ). …
- … from all over Europe and beyond. When Darwin’s son Francis worked in this laboratory in the summers …
- … had also asked Horace to discuss the point with his friend Francis Balfour(258). Darwin promised to …
- … of any success. '. Just two months later, Darwin put Francis in charge of this aspect of the …
- … , a plant that exhibited all three types of movement ( letter from R. I. Lynch, [before 28 July …
- … more familiar with the research in Sachs’s laboratory as Francis’s departure for Würzburg was …
- … the woodblock using photography for scientific accuracy ( letter from J. D. Cooper, 13 December …
- … lost colour, withered, and died within a couple of days ( letter from A. F. Batalin, 28 February …
- … how their observations could have been so much at odds ( letter to Hugo de Vries 13 February 1879 …
- … the botanist Gaetano Durando, to find plants and seeds ( letter to Francis Darwin, [4 February – 8 …
- … only the regulator & not cause of movement ’. In the same letter, Darwin discussed terminology, …
- … to replace Frank’s ‘Transversal-Heliotropismus’ ( letter from W. E. Darwin, 10 February [1880] ). …
- … experiments and devised a new test, which he described in a letter to his mother, ‘ I did some …
- … turgescence and growth ( letter from Hugo de Vries, 7 August 1879 ). Darwin replied, ‘ I thank …
Darwin in letters, 1865: Delays and disappointments
Summary
The year was marked by three deaths of personal significance to Darwin: Hugh Falconer, a friend and supporter; Robert FitzRoy, captain of the Beagle; and William Jackson Hooker, director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, and father of Darwin’s friend…
Matches: 25 hits
- … In 1865, the chief work on Charles Darwin’s mind was the writing of The variation of animals and …
- … letters on climbing plants to make another paper. Darwin also submitted a manuscript of his …
- … protégé, John Scott, who was now working in India. Darwin’s transmutation theory continued to …
- … Argyll, appeared in the religious weekly, Good Words . Darwin received news of an exchange of …
- … Butler, and, according to Butler, the bishop of Wellington. Darwin’s theory was discussed at an …
- … in the Gardeners’ Chronicle . At the end of the year, Darwin was elected an honorary member of …
- … year was marked by three deaths of personal significance to Darwin: Hugh Falconer, a friend of …
- … in August. There was also a serious dispute between two of Darwin’s friends, John Lubbock and …
- … The death of Hugh Falconer Darwin’s first letter to Hooker of 1865 suggests that the family …
- … having all the Boys at home: they make the house jolly’ ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 7 January [1865] …
- … had failed to include among the grounds of the award ( see letter from Hugh Falconer to Erasmus …
- … his letters to Darwin, and Darwin responded warmly: ‘Your letter is by far the grandest eulogium …
- … may well rest content that I have not laboured in vain’ ( letter to Hugh Falconer, 6 January [1865] …
- … always a most kind friend to me. So the world goes.—’ ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 2 February [1865] …
- … for our griefs & pains: these alone are unalloyed’ ( letter from J. D. Hooker, 3 February 1865 …
- … gas.— Sic transit gloria mundi, with a vengeance’ ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 9 February [1865] ). …
- … added, ‘I know it is folly & nonsense to try anyone’ ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 7 January [1865] …
- … ineffective, and Darwin had given it up by early July ( see letter to J. D. Hooker, [10 July 1865] …
- … of anything, & that almost exclusively bread & meat’ ( letter to Asa Gray, 15 August [1865] …
- … better, attributing the improvement to Jones’s diet ( see letter to T. H. Huxley, 4 October [1865] …
- … to his publisher, John Murray, ‘Of present book I have 7 chapters ready for press & all others …
- … bear the expense of the woodcuts ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 7 January [1865] ). After sending the …
- … and Darwin summarised them in Variation 2: 106–7, concluding, ‘it follows from Mr. Scott’s …
- … of real improvement in health’ ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 7 January [1865] ). All the children …
- … , and letter from Edward Cresy, 10 September 1865 ). Francis and Leonard were still at school in …
Women’s scientific participation
Summary
Observers | Fieldwork | Experimentation | Editors and critics | Assistants Darwin’s correspondence helps bring to light a community of women who participated, often actively and routinely, in the nineteenth-century scientific community. Here is a…
Matches: 17 hits
- … | Editors and critics | Assistants Darwin’s correspondence helps bring to light a …
- … community. Here is a selection of letters exchanged between Darwin and his workforce of women …
- … Observers Women: Letter 1194 - Darwin to Whitby, M. A. T., [12 August …
- … silkworm breeds, or peculiarities in inheritance. Letter 3787 - Darwin, H. E. to …
- … to artificially fertilise plants in her garden. Letter 4523 - Wedgwood, L. C. to …
- … be made on seeds of Pulmonaria officinalis . Letter 5745 - Barber, M. E. to …
- … Expression from her home in South Africa. Letter 6736 - Gray, A. & J. L …
- … Expression during a trip to Egypt. Letter 7223 - Darwin to Wedgwood, L. C., …
- … baby to Darwin's daughter, Henrietta. Letter 7179 - Wedgwood, L. C. to …
- … on his summer holiday in Margate. Letter 7433 - Wedgwood, F. to Darwin, [9 …
- … tells her eldest son, William, that her third eldest son, Francis, is receiving help with his plant …
- … Letter 1836 - Berkeley, M. J. to Darwin, [7 March 1856] Clergyman and botanist …
- … February 1857] Darwin’s nephew, Edmund, writes to Francis with the results of his …
- … Letter 4233 - Tegetmeier, W. B. to Darwin, [29 June - 7 July 1863] Tegetmeier updates …
- … in his home. Letter 10517 - Darwin to Francis, F., [29 May 1876] Darwin …
- … & corrections” of Variation . Letter 7124 - Darwin to Darwin, H. E., [8 …
- … Letter 10517 - Darwin t o Francis, F., [29 May 1876] Darwin gives his son, Francis …
Darwin’s queries on expression
Summary
When Darwin resumed systematic research on emotions around 1866, he began to collect observations more widely and composed a list of queries on human expression. A number of handwritten copies were sent out in 1867 (see, for example, letter to Fritz Muller…
Matches: 24 hits
- … When Darwin resumed systematic research on emotions around 1866, he began to collect …
- … handwritten copies were sent out in 1867 (see, for example, letter to Fritz Muller, 22 February …
- … was the collection of observations on a global scale. Darwin was especially interested in peoples …
- … cultural and conventional, or instinctive and universal. Darwin used his existing correspondence …
- … and with the mouth a little drawn back at the corners?” Darwin’s questionnaire was an extension of …
- … was also carefully devised so as to prevent the feelings of Darwin’s remote observers from colouring …
- … and not the susceptibilities of a moral nature.” Darwin did not typically countenance such …
- … the collection of information to its display in print. After Darwin received all of the replies to …
- … except “yes” or “no.” “The same state of mind” Darwin would later assert in Expression of the …
- … Correspondence about Darwin’s Questionnaire (click on the letter dates to see the individual letters …
- … Correspondent Letter date Location …
- … Africa)? ] mentioned in JPM Weale letter, but Bowker's answers not found …
- … Woolston, Southampton, England letter to W.E. Darwin shrugging …
- … Square W London, England enclosed in a letter from Henry Maudsley …
- … blushing Darwin, Francis 20 June 1867 …
- … and S. Sutton Darwin, Francis [before 30 …
- … Darwin, W.E. [7? April 1868] Southampton, England …
- … Gaika, Christian 7 July 1867 Bedford [Cape of Good …
- … Peradeniya, Ceylon enclosed in letter from G.H.K. Thwaites …
- … Egypt] possibly included in letter(s) from Asa Gray Nile …
- … Lake Wellington, Australia letter to F.J.H. von Mueller nodding, …
- … Abbey Place, London, England letter to Emma Darwin baby expression …
- … Penmaenmawr, Conway, Wales letter to Emma Darwin infant daughter …
- … Reade, Winwood W. 7 Sept 1872 11 St Mary Abbot' …
Darwin in letters, 1876: In the midst of life
Summary
1876 was the year in which the Darwins became grandparents for the first time. And tragically lost their daughter-in-law, Amy, who died just days after her son's birth. All the letters from 1876 are now published in volume 24 of The Correspondence…
Matches: 21 hits
- … The year 1876 started out sedately enough with Darwin working on the first draft of his book on the …
- … games. ‘I have won, hurrah, hurrah, 2795 games’, Darwin boasted; ‘my wife … poor creature, has won …
- … regarding the ailments that were so much a feature of Darwin family life. But the calm was not to …
- … the first member of the next generation of the family, with Francis and Amy’s child expected in …
- … four days later. ‘I cannot bear to think of the future’, Darwin confessed to William on 11 …
- … once, the labour of checking proofs proved a blessing, as Darwin sought solace for the loss of his …
- … quantity of work’ left in him for ‘new matter’ (letter to Asa Gray, 28 January 1876). The …
- … to a reprint of the second edition of Climbing plants ( letter from R. F. Cooke, 23 February …
- … & I for blundering’, he cheerfully observed to Carus. ( Letter to J. V. Carus, 24 April 1876. …
- … provided evidence for the ‘advantages of crossing’ (letter to Asa Gray, 28 January 1876). Revising …
- … year to write about his life ( Correspondence vol. 23, letter from Ernst von Hesse-Wartegg, 20 …
- … nowadays is evolution and it is the correct one’ ( letter from Nemo, [1876?] ). …
- … him ‘basely’ and who had succeeded in giving him pain ( letter to A. R. Wallace, 17 June 1876 ). …
- … Darwin reassured his close friend Joseph Hooker that he and Francis would attend the meeting. Darwin …
- … disgrace’ of blackballing so distinguished a zoologist ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 29 January 1876 ) …
- … subject takes an opposite line’. Although he conceded that Francis had the best of an argument with …
- … to propose the young rising star of Cambridge morphology, Francis Maitland Balfour, for fellowship …
- … of the earliest available commercial models of typewriter. Francis Darwin and his wife, Amy, …
- … point, and he was reliant on his son George and cousin Francis Galton for the calculations. ‘I have …
- … the more shocking because associated with a happy event. On 7 September, Charles and Emma became …
- … harmony with yours’ ( letter from George Henslow, [ c. 7 December 1876] ). A more typical …
Darwin in letters, 1874: A turbulent year
Summary
The year 1874 was one of consolidation, reflection, and turmoil for Darwin. He spent the early months working on second editions of Coral reefs and Descent of man; the rest of the year was mostly devoted to further research on insectivorous plants. A…
Matches: 23 hits
- … 1874 was one of consolidation, reflection, and turmoil for Darwin. He spent the early months working …
- … dispute over an anonymous review that attacked the work of Darwin’s son George dominated the second …
- … and traveller Alexander von Humboldt’s 105th birthday, Darwin obliged with a reflection on his debt …
- … be done by observation during prolonged intervals’ ( letter to D. T. Gardner, [ c . 27 August …
- … pleasures of shooting and collecting beetles ( letter from W. D. Fox, 8 May [1874] ). Such …
- … And … one looks backwards much more than forwards’ ( letter to W. D. Fox, 11 May [1874] ). …
- … Andrew Clark, whom he had been consulting since August 1873. Darwin had originally thought that …
- … was an illusory hope.— I feel very old & helpless’ ( letter to B. J. Sulivan, 6 January [1874] …
- … inferred that he was well from his silence on the matter ( letter from Ernst Haeckel, 26 October …
- … in such rubbish’, he confided to Joseph Dalton Hooker ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 18 January [1874] …
- … that Mr Williams was ‘a cheat and an imposter’ ( letter from T. H. Huxley, 27 January 1874 ). …
- … his, ‘& that he was thus free to perform his antics’ ( letter to T. H. Huxley, 29 January [1874 …
- … had cost twenty-four shillings.) Murray’s partner, Robert Francis Cooke, informed Darwin that the …
- … sexual criminality of Pagan days’ ([Mivart] 1874b, p. 70). 'scurrilous libel' …
- … Correspondence vol. 22, Appendix V and Dawson 2007, pp. 77–81). Darwin first considered taking …
- … & it had been refused’ ( letter from G. H. Darwin, [6 or 7 August 1874] ). When the letter was …
- … (see G. B. Airy ed. 1881). Darwin’s third son Francis married Amy Ruck, the sister of a …
- … work on insectivorous plants. Amy drew a plant and Francis was disappointed that they seemed not to …
- … from the moment of being hatched ( letter to Nature , 7 and 11 May [1874] ; Spalding 1872a). …
- … from Cornwall, but Darwin was unwell when it arrived, so Francis worked on the tiny bladders under …
- … 1874 , and Correspondence vol. 21, letter from Francis Darwin, [11 October 1873] ). …
- … work’ ( letter to D. F. Nevill, 18 September [1874] ).Francis’s new wife, Amy, drew the plant ( …
- … from his sons George and Francis ( letter to Anton Dohrn, 7 March 1874 ). Dohrn replied …
Darwin in letters, 1871: An emptying nest
Summary
The year 1871 was an extremely busy and productive one for Darwin, with the publication in February of his long-awaited book on human evolution, Descent of man. The other main preoccupation of the year was the preparation of his manuscript on expression.…
Matches: 27 hits
- … The year 1871 was an extremely busy and productive one for Darwin, seeing the publication of his …
- … book out of my head’. But a large proportion of Darwin’s time for the rest of the year was devoted …
- … way, and the initial reception of the book in the press. Darwin fielded numerous letters from …
- … offered sharp criticism or even condemnation. Darwin had expected controversy. ‘I shall be …
- … a bare-faced manner.”‘ The most lively debate centred on Darwin’s evolutionary account of the …
- … taste. Correspondence with his readers and critics helped Darwin to clarify, and in some cases …
- … year was the preparation of his manuscript on expression. Darwin continued to investigate the …
- … also brought a significant milestone for the family, as Darwin’s eldest daughter Henrietta was …
- … by people wanting copies’, Darwin wrote to his son Francis on 28 February . Demand continued …
- … do to talk about it, which no doubt promotes the sale’ ( letter from J. D. Hooker, 26 March 1871 ) …
- … to her liking, ‘to keep in memory of the book’ ( letter to H. E. Darwin, 20 March 1871 ). …
- … and had forsaken his lunch and dinner in order to read it ( letter from James Crichton-Browne, 19 …
- … they believe to be the truth, whether pleasant or not’ (letter from W. W. Reade, 21 February 1871). …
- … and Oldham … They club together to buy them’ ( letter from W. B. Dawkins, 23 February 1871 ). …
- … one’s n th . ancestor lived between tide-marks!’ ( letter from T. H. Huxley, 20 February 1871 ). …
- … habits, furnished with a tail and pointed ears” (letter from Asa Gray, 14 April 1871) …
- … ‘will-power’ and the heavy use of their arms and legs ( letter from C. L. Bernays, 25 February 1871 …
- … in order to make it darker than the hair on his head ( letter from W. B. Tegetmeier, [before 25 …
- … allotted space each morning ( letter from Arthur Nicols, 7 March 1871 ; letter from B. J. …
- … liberal or orthodox. The American philosopher and journalist Francis Ellingwood Abbot incorporated …
- … man & we were the best of friends’, he wrote to his son Francis on 28 February . However, …
- … at Harvard University. Darwin financed the publication of 750 copies, requesting 250 for himself so …
- … similar query with the artist Thomas Woolner, inquiring on 7 April whether ‘young and …
- … Darwin had been receiving regular reports from his cousin Francis Galton on the progress of …
- … in order to facilitate cross-circulation ( letter from Francis Galton, 13 September 1871 ). …
- … science ( letter to Horace Darwin, [15 December 1871] ). Francis was now studying medicine at St …
- … of Trinity College, planned a trip to America, and invited Francis and two Cambridge friends. Darwin …
Darwin in letters, 1872: Job done?
Summary
'My career’, Darwin wrote towards the end of 1872, 'is so nearly closed. . . What little more I can do, shall be chiefly new work’, and the tenor of his correspondence throughout the year is one of wistful reminiscence, coupled with a keen eye…
Matches: 24 hits
- … ‘My career’, Darwin wrote towards the end of 1872, ‘is so nearly closed. . . What little more I can …
- … of On the origin of species , intended to be Darwin’s last, and of Expression of the …
- … books brought a strong if deceptive sense of a job now done: Darwin intended, he declared to Alfred …
- … anything more on 'so difficult a subject, as evolution’ ( letter to A. R. Wallace, 27 July …
- … of books and papers, and the latter formed the subject of Darwin’s last book, The formation of …
- … worms , published in the year before his death. Despite Darwin’s declared intention to take up new …
- … begun many years before. In his private life also, Darwin was in a nostalgic frame of mind, …
- … The last word on Origin The year opened with Darwin, helped by his eldest son William, …
- … on 30 January , shortly after correcting the proofs, and Darwin’s concern for the consolidation of …
- … and sixth editions were costly to incorporate, and despite Darwin’s best efforts, set the final …
- … condition as I can make it’, he wrote to the translator ( letter to J. J. Moulinié, 23 September …
- … translation remained unpublished at the end of the year ( letter from C.-F. Reinwald, 23 November …
- … to the comparative anatomist St George Jackson Mivart ( letter to St G. J. Mivart, 11 January …
- … comparison of Whale & duck most beautiful’ ( letter from A. R. Wallace, 3 March 1872 ) …
- … a person as I am made to appear’, complained Darwin ( letter to St G. J. Mivart, 5 January 1872 ). …
- … Darwin would renounce `fundamental intellectual errors’ ( letter from St G. J. Mivart, 6 January …
- … was silly enough to think he felt friendly towards me’ ( letter to St G. J. Mivart, 8 January [1872 …
- … hoping for reconciliation, if only `in another world’ ( letter from St G. J. Mivart, 10 January …
- … drawings shortly afterwards ( letter from Samuel Butler to Francis Darwin, [before 30 May 1872] , …
- … the claims of spiritualists, and Darwin, through his cousin Francis Galton, had with some interest …
- … supply; the initial print run of 5000 was increased to 7000, but although the printers had the text …
- … however, incorporated in the second edition, produced by Francis Darwin after his father’s death. …
- … new name on the list of volunteers: by the beginning of May, Francis Darwin, the Darwins’ third son, …
- … 4 November 1872 , and letter to J. S. Craig, 7 November 1872 ). But recognition was far from …
Dipsacus and Drosera: Frank’s favourite carnivores
Summary
In Autumn of 1875, Francis Darwin was busy researching aggregation in the tentacles of Drosera rotundifolia (F. Darwin 1876). This phenomenon occurs when coloured particles within either protoplasm or the fluid in the cell vacuole (the cell sap) cluster…
Matches: 22 hits
- … By John Schaefer, Harvard University* Charles Darwin’s enthusiasm for carnivorous plants -- …
- … than the origin of all the species in the world. ’ Darwin’s rigorous experimentation with these …
- … plants in the scientific and public imagination. Darwin’s son, Francis, carried on his father …
- … experience with his father's thorough experiments, Francis sought to elaborate on the book’s …
- … fluid in the cell vacuole (the cell sap) cluster together. Darwin senior had theorized in …
- … protoplasm . Inspired by his investigation of Drosera , Francis set out to examine the cup-like …
- … The Loves of the Plants (1789) his grandfather, Erasmus Darwin, wrote that each dew-filled cup …
- … to prevent insects from creeping up to devour its seed.’ Francis, however, expected to find that the …
- … sent to his father from Kew Gardens by Joseph Dalton Hooker, Francis began growing his own specimens …
- … into deciphering plant carnivory. On 28 May 1876, Francis wrote to his father that he had …
- … emphatically exclaiming ‘ Hooray theory. Blow facts. ’ Francis drew comparisons to ‘the absorption …
- … article on aggregation in D. rotundifolia tentacles, Francis had to delay further examinations …
- … investigation and suggested further observations, imploring Francis ‘ I would work at this subject …
- … ‘Seed-bearing’ experiments with Dipsacus . While Darwin was ‘curious if the movements of the …
- … golden eggs. ’ With his father's encouragement, Francis recorded ‘ splendid …
- … After witnessing this ‘ grand discovery ’ himself, Darwin excitedly described the protoplasmic …
- … feeding on solid particles of decaying insects. ’ Francis consulted with William Thiselton …
- … on with his observations. On 7 September 1876, Francis welcomed his son Bernard into …
- … would weaken his will to pursue scientific endeavours, Darwin gently yet consistently encouraged …
- … ‘ I can declare that I have hardly ever received [a letter] in my life which has given me more …
- … Darwin’s request, Cohn agreed to allow an excerpt of his letter to be published in Nature , …
- … August 1877, p. 339). Although, as Darwin pointed out in a letter to G.J. Romanes, Cohn was hesitant …
Darwin in letters, 1863: Quarrels at home, honours abroad
Summary
At the start of 1863, Charles Darwin was actively working on the manuscript of The variation of animals and plants under domestication, anticipating with excitement the construction of a hothouse to accommodate his increasingly varied botanical experiments…
Matches: 22 hits
- … At the start of 1863, Charles Darwin was actively working on the manuscript of The variation of …
- … markedly, reflecting a decline in his already weak health. Darwin then began punctuating letters …
- … am languid & bedeviled … & hate everybody’. Although Darwin did continue his botanical …
- … of the water-cure. The treatment was not effective and Darwin remained ill for the rest of the year. …
- … the correspondence from the year. These letters illustrate Darwin’s preoccupation with the …
- … to man’s place in nature both had a direct bearing on Darwin’s species theory and on the problem …
- … from ‘some Quadrumanum animal’, as he put it in a letter to J. D. Hooker of 24[–5] February [1863] …
- … detailed anatomical similarities between humans and apes, Darwin was full of praise. He especially …
- … ‘I declare I never in my life read anything grander’ ( letter to T. H. Huxley, 26 [February 1863] …
- … in expressing any judgment on Species or origin of man’. Darwin’s concern about the popular …
- … Lyell’s and Huxley’s books. Three years earlier Darwin had predicted that Lyell’s forthcoming …
- … than Origin had (see Correspondence vol. 8, letter to Charles Lyell, 10 January [1860] ). …
- … from animals like the woolly mammoth and cave bear ( see letter from Jacques Boucher de Perthes, 23 …
- … first half of 1863 focused attention even more closely on Darwin’s arguments for species change. …
- … leap from that of inferior animals made him ‘groan’ ( letter to Charles Lyell, 6 March [1863] ). …
- … out that species were not separately created’ ( letter to Charles Lyell, 17 March [1863] ). Public …
- … book he wished his one-time mentor had not said a word ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 24[–5] February …
- … the public in this way ( see letter from J. D. Hooker, [7 May 1863] , and Appendix VII). He also …
- … [1863] , and letter from Julius von Haast, 21 July [–7? August] 1863 ). Darwin was subsequently …
- … paper with satisfaction ( see letter to John Scott, 7 November [1863] ). Scott had referred …
- … by them (see Correspondence vol. 11, Appendix IX). Francis Darwin later wrote of his father’s …
- … he could send him to the war ( see letter from Asa Gray, 7 July 1863 ). Darwin shared this letter …
Darwin in letters, 1875: Pulling strings
Summary
‘I am getting sick of insectivorous plants’, Darwin confessed in January 1875. He had worked on the subject intermittently since 1859, and had been steadily engaged on a book manuscript for nine months; January also saw the conclusion of a bitter dispute…
Matches: 25 hits
- … Editions Plants always held an important place in Darwin’s theorising about species, and …
- … his periods of severe illness. Yet on 15 January 1875 , Darwin confessed to his close friend …
- … way to continuous writing and revision, activities that Darwin found less gratifying: ‘I am slaving …
- … bad.’ The process was compounded by the fact that Darwin was also revising another manuscript …
- … coloured stamens.’ At intervals during the year, Darwin was diverted from the onerous task of …
- … zoologist St George Jackson Mivart. In April and early May, Darwin was occupied with a heated …
- … chapter of the controversy involved a slanderous attack upon Darwin’s son George, in an anonymous …
- … On 8 January , he told Hooker: ‘I will write a savage letter & that will do me some good, if I …
- … ‘Without cutting him direct’, he advised Darwin on 7 January , ‘I should avoid him, & if he …
- … to the Editor … Poor Murray shuddered again & again’ ( letter from J. D. Hooker, 16 January …
- … Darwin had become acquainted with Klein when his son Francis was studying medicine in London. Klein …
- … offered to pay the costs for printing an additional 250 ( letter to John Murray, 3 May 1875 ). …
- … & bless the day That ever you were born (letter from E. F. Lubbock, [after 2 …
- … that the originally red half has become wholly white’ ( letter from G. J. Romanes, [before 4 …
- … performed on animals in previous years by Darwin’s cousin Francis Galton. These had been …
- … can make several parts clearer,’ Darwin reiterated on 7 November , ‘I believe (though I hope I am …
- … pp. 188–90). He drew attention to this discussion in a letter to George Rolleston, remarking on 2 …
- … manuscripts and proofs, Darwin now relied heavily on his son Francis, who had made the decision in …
- … Darwin wrote, ‘I beg ten thousand pardon & more’ ( letter to Francis Darwin, [ c . February …
- … plants , and moved on to Variation 2d ed., Francis signed himself, ‘Your affect son … the …
- … ancestry. ‘You know better than anybody’, he wrote on 7 January , ‘how infinitely great is the …
- … the Duke of Wellington on art (Max Müller 1875, pp. 305–7). The debate between Max Müller and …
- … 219.1: 89). The most eminent of Darwin’s guests was Francis, duke of Teck, a German prince …
- … Darwin could not keep up, and on 22 July , he had Francis reply: ‘My Father desires me to say …
- … Down with Thiselton-Dyer ( letter to W. T. Thiselton-Dyer, 7 July 1875 ). It was Thiselton-Dyer …
Darwin in letters, 1880: Sensitivity and worms
Summary
‘My heart & soul care for worms & nothing else in this world,’ Darwin wrote to his old Shrewsbury friend Henry Johnson on 14 November 1880. Darwin became fully devoted to earthworms in the spring of the year, just after finishing the manuscript of…
Matches: 20 hits
- … heart & soul care for worms & nothing else in this world,’ Darwin wrote to his old …
- … to adapt to varying conditions. The implications of Darwin’s work for the boundary between animals …
- … studies of animal instincts by George John Romanes drew upon Darwin’s early observations of infants, …
- … of evolution and creation. Many letters flowed between Darwin and his children, as he took delight …
- … Financial support for science was a recurring issue, as Darwin tried to secure a Civil List pension …
- … with Samuel Butler, prompted by the publication of Erasmus Darwin the previous year. …
- … my grandfather’s character is of much value to me’ ( letter to C. H. Tindal, 5 January 1880 ). …
- … have influenced the whole Kingdom, & even the world’ ( letter from J. L. Chester, 3 March 1880 …
- … delighted to find an ordinary mortal who could laugh’ ( letter from W. E. Darwin to Charles and …
- … much powder & shot’ ( Correspondence vol. 27, letter from Ernst Krause, 7 June 1879 , and …
- … modified; but now I much regret that I did not do so’ ( letter to Samuel Butler, 3 January 1880 ). …
- … and ‘decided on laying the matter before the public’ ( letter from Samuel Butler, 21 January 1880 …
- … Mr Butler whatever.’ Power of movement With Francis’s assistance, the last of Darwin’s …
- … of the nervous system, and the nature of ‘sensitivity’. Francis Balfour described Movement in …
- … the intake of stones and flints to aid digestion. He asked Francis to check for castings on old …
- … rightly thought the ‘queer subject’ of interest to Francis Galton, who had already taken thumb …
- … extending the study to public-school pupils ( letter to Francis Galton, 7 April 1880 , and …
- … he had received from German and Dutch naturalists on his 70th birthday, and some of his recent work …
- … B. Buckley, 31 October [1880] ). Buckley reported back on 7 November : ‘At first he hesitated …
- … William’s interest in geology, and longed to see Francis elected fellow of the Royal Society. He …
Darwin in letters, 1869: Forward on all fronts
Summary
At the start of 1869, Darwin was hard at work making changes and additions for a fifth edition of Origin. He may have resented the interruption to his work on sexual selection and human evolution, but he spent forty-six days on the task. Much of the…
Matches: 30 hits
- … At the start of 1869, Darwin was hard at work making changes and additions for a fifth edition of …
- … appeared at the end of 1866 and had told his cousin William Darwin Fox, ‘My work will have to stop a …
- … & I am sick of correcting’ ( Correspondence vol. 16, letter to W. D. Fox, 12 December [1868 …
- … Well it is a beginning, & that is something’ ( letter to J. D. Hooker, [22 January 1869] ). …
- … material on emotional expression. Yet the scope of Darwin’s interests remained extremely broad, and …
- … plants, and earthworms, subjects that had exercised Darwin for decades, and that would continue to …
- … Carl von Nägeli and perfectibility Darwin’s most substantial addition to Origin was a …
- … a Swiss botanist and professor at Munich (Nägeli 1865). Darwin had considered Nägeli’s paper …
- … principal engine of change in the development of species. Darwin correctly assessed Nägeli’s theory …
- … in most morphological features (Nägeli 1865, p. 29). Darwin sent a manuscript of his response (now …
- … made any blunders, as is very likely to be the case’ ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 13 January 1869 ). …
- … are & must be morphological’. The comment highlights Darwin’s apparent confusion about Nägeli’s …
- … ‘purely morphological’. The modern reader may well share Darwin’s uncertainty, but Nägeli evidently …
- … pp. 28–9). In further letters, Hooker tried to provide Darwin with botanical examples he could use …
- … countered Nägeli’s thesis ( Origin 5th ed., pp. 151–7). Fleeming Jenkin and problems of …
- … than I now see is possible or probable’ (see also letter to A. R. Wallace, 22 January [1869] , …
- … is strengthened by the facts in distribution’ ( letter to James Croll, 31 January [1869] ). Darwin …
- … tropical species using Croll’s theory. In the same letter to Croll, Darwin had expressed …
- … a very long period before the Cambrian formation’ ( letter to James Croll, 31 January [1869] …
- … data to go by, but don’t think we have got that yet’ ( letter from James Croll, 4 February 1869 ). …
- … I d have been less deferential towards [Thomson]’ ( letter to T. H. Huxley, 19 March [1869] ). …
- … completed revisions of the ‘everlasting old Origin’ ( letter to Asa Gray, 1 June [1869] ), he was …
- … him however in his researches I would willingly do so’ ( letter from Robert Elliot to George …
- … in Patagonia and Wales ( letter from T. H. Huxley, 7 May 1869 , letter from W. B. Dawkins, 17 …
- … oil over the bumptious man’ ( letter from J. D. Hooker, 7 September 1869 ). Huxley playfully …
- … of concern were received for months afterwards. Francis Galton: Hereditary genius and …
- … Emma read aloud from a new book by Darwin’s half-cousin, Francis Galton. The work, Hereditary …
- … is an eminently important difference’ ( letter to Francis Galton, 23 December [1869] ). …
- … of inheritance through experiments on rabbits ( letter from Francis Galton, 11 December 1869 ). …
- … the first to give me freedom of thought’ ( letter from Francis Galton, 24 December 1869 ). …
'An Appeal' against animal cruelty
Summary
The four-page pamphlet transcribed below and entitled 'An Appeal', was composed jointly by Emma and Charles Darwin (see letter from Emma Darwin to W. D. Fox, [29 September 1863]). The pamphlet, which protested against the cruelty of steel vermin…
Matches: 13 hits
- … 'An Appeal', was composed jointly by Emma and Charles Darwin (see letter from Emma Darwin …
- … of the pamphlet in August and September 1863 (see letter from G. B. Sowerby Jr to Emma Darwin, 22 …
- … 1863, pp. 821–2, under the title `Vermin and traps' ( Letter no. 4282). The wording of the …
- … and to 'a good many persons Squires Ladies & MPs' (see letter from Emma Darwin to W. D …
- … more success with the campaign than she expected (see the letter from Emma Darwin to William Erasmus …
- … s. 6 d. for distributing the 'cruelty pamphlet', and letter from Emma Darwin to W. D. …
- … of 'many of the leading sportsmen of the country', and Francis Trevelyan Buckland, well …
- … single design fitted the requirements (Moss 1961, pp. 146–7). During the early 1870s the RSPCA …
- … paper Animal World , and prominently linked Charles Darwin"s name to the offer of a prize …
- … the campaign had little direct effect (Moss 1961, pp. 146–7, Emma Darwin 2: 200). …
- … the possible alternatives (see letter from E. L. Darwin, 7 September 1863, letter from Emma Darwin …
- … his sisters during his boyhood ( Autobiography , pp. 26–7). As an adult, he took pains to prevent …
- … as a young naturalist ( Autobiography , pp. 44, 54–5, 78, and Correspondence vol. 2, letter to …
Interview with Randal Keynes
Summary
Randal Keynes is a great-great-grandson of Charles Darwin, and the author of Annie’s Box (Fourth Estate, 2001), which discusses Darwin’s home life, his relationship with his wife and children, and the ways in which these influenced his feelings about…
Matches: 17 hits
- … Randal Keynes is a great-great-grandson of Charles Darwin, and the author of Annie’s Box (Fourth …
- … nature and religion. Date of interview: 7 August 2008 Transcription …
- … University Library - in the Keynes Room! - visiting the Darwin Correspondence Project. Randal is a …
- … Your book seems to counter prevailing popular portraits of Darwin as the solitary genius, and of …
- … any historian of science, that the great achievements, like Darwin's, and many others, are not …
- … [of] all the scientist's colleagues. 6. Darwin's poetic sensibility …
- … Randal Keynes: Yes. 7. How, and what, do we know of Darwin's opinions …
- … to conclude with any certainty. You, and Jim Moore [another Darwin biographer] as well, talk about …
- … ?the tatters of belief in a moral, just universe?, and that Darwin now took his stand as an …
- … that he read, which are very important - and in general, Darwin's reading is a fascinating …
- … important, fundamental act. That was important for her. Darwin just didn't have that in him, …
- … ? and look there for the explanation of the difficulties Darwin and Emma had with each other's …
- … I'm struck by, also, this moral dimension to Christianity. Darwin, several times, comes back to …
- … of liberal theologians and unitarians that were part of Darwin's circle would not necessarily …
- … Dr White: Right. 9. Emma Darwin's influence and struggle with faith …
- … White: Right. 10. Parallels between Darwin's occupation and Emma's …
- … should reveal, in the Life and letters that his son Francis was putting together, about his …
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: 27 hits
- … In April 1838, Darwin began recording the titles of books he had read and the books he wished …
- … 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 …
- … own. Soon after beginning his first reading notebook, Darwin began to separate the scientific …
- … are not found listed here. The description given by Francis Darwin of his father’s method of …
- … Darwin Library (AC.34). Darwin’s books were bequeathed to Francis Darwin, who, in 1908, gave all but …
- … to be available to scholars using the archive. Books that Francis Darwin had kept were left to his …
- … at the end of Congo voyage [R. Brown 1818]. (Hooker 923) 7 read Decandolle Philosophie …
- … 1835] read Marcel de Serres Cavernes d’Ossements 7 th Ed. 10 8 vo . [Serres 1838] …
- … de S t Hilaire 1832 [I. Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire 1832–7] contains all his fathers views Quoted by …
- … Volneys 18 Travels in Syria [Volney 1787].—vol I. p. 71. account of Europæan plants transplanted …
- … [T. S. B. Raffles 1817] Buffon Suites [Buffon 1834–74]. Much on Geograph. Distrib. …
- … of Asiatic Soc. Vol. II & Vol. III [DAR *119: 7v.] Storia della Riproduzione …
- … on geograph distrib of Man. Mentioned by Athenæum 1839 p. 765. in Geograph. Soc?? Review of this in …
- … [Reimarius 1760] The Highlands & Western Isl ds letter to Sir W Scott [MacCulloch 1824 …
- … 1828] 31 An analysis of British Ferns. G. W. Francis 4 s [Francis 1837]— plates of …
- … 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] …
- … of the material from these portfolios is in DAR 205, the letter from William Edward Shuckard to …
- … work is listed again on p. [22]. 44 Probably Francis Boott. 45 Edward …
- … ( Notebooks , pp. 319–28). 55 The letter was addressed to Nicholas Aylward Vigors …
- … Africa . London. *119: 18v.; 119: 14a Bacon, Francis. 1825–36. The works of Francis …
