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List of correspondents
Summary
Below is a list of Darwin's correspondents with the number of letters for each one. Click on a name to see the letters Darwin exchanged with that correspondent. "A child of God" (1) Abberley,…
Matches: 5 hits
Dramatisation script
Summary
Re: Design – Adaptation of the Correspondence of Charles Darwin, Asa Gray and others… by Craig Baxter – as performed 25 March 2007
Matches: 23 hits
- … Re: Design – Adaptation of the Correspondence of Charles Darwin, Asa Gray and others… by Craig …
- … as the creator of this dramatisation, and that of the Darwin Correspondence Project to be identified …
- … correspondence or published writings of Asa Gray, Charles Darwin, Joseph Dalton Hooker, Jane Loring …
- … Actor 1 – Asa Gray Actor 2 – Charles Darwin Actor 3 – In the dress of a modern day …
- … Agassiz, Adam Sedgwick, A Friend of John Stuart Mill, Emma Darwin, Horace Darwin… and acts as a sort …
- … the play unfolds and acting as a go-between between Gray and Darwin, and between the audience and …
- … this, he sends out copies of his Review of the Life of Darwin. At this time in his life, Asa …
- … friends in England, copies of his ‘Review of the Life of Darwin’… pencilling the address so that it …
- … Joseph D Hooker GRAY: 3 Charles Darwin… made his home on the border of the little …
- … are kept in check by a constitutional weakness. DARWIN: A plain but comfortable brick …
- … by every blessing except that of vigorous health… DARWIN: 4 My confounded stomach …
- … pursuits and the simplicity of his character. DARWIN: 5 I am allowed to work now …
- … own house, where he was the most charming of hosts. DARWIN: 6 My life goes on …
- … being a part of [an unpublished] manuscript. Darwin settles down to write. His tone is …
- … THE CONCURRENCE OF BOTANISTS: 1855 In which Darwin initiates a long-running correspondence …
- … gossip about difficult colleagues (Agassiz). Gray realizes Darwin is not revealing all of his …
- … man, more formally attired and lighter on his feet than Darwin. He has many more demands on his time …
- … My dear Gray. I must tell you that the other day [my boy Horace] overheard me talking about …
- … DARWIN: I answered ‘Oh yes.’ HORACE: Well then, what did they say about the kinds of …
- … answered that these were all due to man’s agency. HORACE: But do not wild plants vary? …
- … who ‘formerly’ believed in such conclusions. I believe Horace is a prophetic type, as Agassiz would …
- … paragraph, in which I quote and differ from you[r] 178 doctrine that each variation has been …
- … ARTS AND SCIENCES, PROCEEDINGS XVII, 1882 4 C DARWIN TO JD HOOKER 10 MAY 1848 …
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: 20 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 …
- … a holiday in the Lake District in August did little to raise Darwin’s spirits. ‘I wish that my …
- … W. T. Thiselton-Dyer, [after 26] July [1879] ). From July, Darwin had an additional worry: the …
- … that his grandfather had felt the same way. In 1792, Erasmus Darwin had written: ‘The worst thing I …
- … all over like a baked pear’ ( enclosure in letter from R. W. Dixon, 20 December 1879 ). The year …
- … contained a warmer note and the promise of future happiness: Darwin learned he was to be visited by …
- … nice and good as could be’ ( letter from Karl Beger, [ c. 12 February 1879] ). The masters of …
- … of the Admiralty described the unknown young man as ‘A M r Darwin grandson of the well known …
- … him on 9 June not to ‘expend much powder & shot on M r Butler’, for he really was not worth …
- … leaving Darwin ‘more perplexed than ever about life of D r . D’ ( letter to Francis Darwin, 12 …
- … the highest point, for his “why”—“what for” &c are incessant’, Darwin joked on 2 July (first …
- … objection to the engagement between his daughter Ida and Horace Darwin. This was all the more …
- … at the Farrers’ home, Abinger Hall, on several occasions. Horace had first approached Farrer to …
- … Farrer’s objection was based on his impression of Horace’s poor health and lack of profession, and …
- … reported, because Darwin told Farrer ‘a great deal about Horace that he did not know, especially …
- … which is his profession tho’ not a profitable one; also D r C[lark]’s opinion that he was so …
- … and prevent ‘Cattle diseases, Potato diseases &c’, probably did not know that Darwin had already …
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: 24 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 …
- … during prolonged intervals’ ( letter to D. T. Gardner, [ c . 27 August 1874] ). The death of a …
- … from W. D. Fox, 8 May [1874] ). Such reminiscences led Darwin to the self-assessment, ‘as for one …
- … I feel very old & helpless The year started for Darwin with a week’s visit to …
- … Andrew Clark, whom he had been consulting since August 1873. Darwin had originally thought that …
- … ( letter to B. J. Sulivan, 6 January [1874] ). Darwin mentioned his poor health so frequently in …
- … 1874 ). Séances, psychics, and sceptics Darwin excused himself for reasons of …
- … by George Henry Lewes and Marian Evans (George Eliot), but Darwin excused himself, finding it too …
- … the month, another Williams séance was held at the home of Darwin’s cousin Hensleigh Wedgwood. Those …
- … imposter’ ( letter from T. H. Huxley, 27 January 1874 ). Darwin agreed that it was ‘all imposture’ …
- … stop word getting to America of the ‘strange news’ that Darwin had allowed ‘a spirit séance’ at his …
- … were family affairs. Coral reefs His son Horace had suggested a new edition of the …
- … Descent was published in November 1874 ( letter from R. F. Cooke, 12 November 1874 ). Though …
- … on subsequent print runs would be very good ( letter from R. F. Cooke, 12 November 1874 ). …
- … were also doing well. Despite ill health, his youngest son Horace began the year by taking the …
- … without being bad & have done pretty well’ ( letter to Horace Darwin, 9 January [1874] ). …
- … Kent. After a month’s trial Darwin wrote to the firm about Horace’s illness: ‘My son is most …
- … in a few hours dissolve the hardest cartilage, bone & meat &c. &c.’ ( letter to W. D. …
- … whether at the ‘close of the putrefaction of flesh, skin &c, any substance is produced before …
- … details of an Australian variety of sundew ( letter from T. C. Copland, 23 June 1874 ). …
- … Sharpe for promotion at the British Museum ( letter to R. B. Sharpe, 24 November [1874] ). He …
- … head that M r Spencer’s terms of equilibration &c always bother me & make everything less …
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: 23 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. …
- … Charles Harrison Tindal, sent a cache of letters from two of Darwin’s grandfather’s clerical friends …
- … divines to see a pig’s body opened is very amusing’, Darwin replied, ‘& that about my …
- … registry offices, and produced a twenty-page history of the Darwin family reaching back to the …
- … the world’ ( letter from J. L. Chester, 3 March 1880 ). Darwin’s sons George and Leonard also …
- … and conciliate a few whose ancestors had not featured in Darwin’s Life . ‘In an endeavour to …
- … think I must pay a round of visits.’ One cousin, Reginald Darwin, warmed to George: ‘he had been …
- … an ordinary mortal who could laugh’ ( letter from W. E. Darwin to Charles and Emma Darwin, 22 July …
- … by anticipation the position I have taken as regards D r Erasmus Darwin in my book Evolution old …
- … to the end’, added her husband Richard ( letter from R. B. Litchfield, 1 February 1880 ). Even the …
- … shake their heads in the same dismal manner as you & M r . Murray did, when I told them my …
- … in a book about beetles the impressive words “captured by C. Darwin”. … This seemed to me glory …
- … ‘but the subject has amused me’ ( letter to W. C. McIntosh, 18 June 1880 ). Members of the family …
- … While on honeymoon with his new wife, Ida, in the Alps, Horace spotted worms at high elevations, …
- … saw a steam tram—imagine my excitement’ ( letter from Horace Darwin to Emma Darwin, [18 September …
- … great doctrines …“Come of Age”‘ ( letter from W. C. Williamson to Emma Darwin, 2 September 1880 ). …
- … his voice as clearly as if he were present’ (letters to C. W. Fox, 29 March 1880 and 10 [April …
- … elected fellow of the Royal Society. He rejoiced to see Horace and Ida settled in their new home in …
Referencing women’s work
Summary
Darwin's correspondence shows that women made significant contributions to Darwin's work, but whether and how they were acknowledged in print involved complex considerations of social standing, professional standing, and personal preference.…
Matches: 15 hits
- … Darwin's correspondence shows that women made significant contributions to Darwin's work, …
- … set of selected letters is followed by letters relating to Darwin's 1881 publication …
- … throughout Variation . Letter 2395 - Darwin to Holland, Miss, [April 1860] …
- … anonymised and masculinised. Letter 3316 - Darwin to Nevill, D. F., [12 November …
- … Nevill is referenced by name for her “kindness” in Darwin’s Fertilisation of Orchids . …
- … science critic. Letter 4370 - Wedgwood, L. C. to Darwin, [April - May 1865] …
- … as “friends in Surrey”. Letter 4794 - Darwin to Lyell, C., [25 March 1865] …
- … to state that the information was “received through Sir C. Lyell” or received from “Miss. B”. …
- … in the final publication. Letter 7223 - Darwin to Wedgwood, L. C., [9 June 1867 - …
- … at him. Letter 7345 - Wedgwood, L. C. to Darwin, [15 June 1872] Darwin’s …
- … near his house. Letter 8168 - Ruck, A. R. to Darwin, H., [20 January 1872] …
- … worm castings . Letter 7345 - Wedgwood, L. C. to Darwin, [15 June 1872] …
- … Darwin, H., [1 November 1877] Darwin asks his sons, Horace and Francis, to observe …
- … - Darwin, H. to Darwin, [7 October 1880] Horace writes to his father with information …
- … St Tibbs Row. Darwin proudly referenced the work of "My son Horace" in Vegetable Mould …
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 …
- … during several past years, has been a great amusement’. Darwin had been working fairly continuously …
- … work on species theory in the late 1830s. In recent years, Darwin had collected a wealth of material …
- … to human evolution was comparatively small, reflecting Darwin’s aim of showing kinship with animals …
- … he is “torn to pieces” by people wanting copies’, Darwin wrote to his son Francis on 28 February …
- … letter from J. D. Hooker, 26 March 1871 ). The profits for Darwin were considerable. After …
- … man.’ Promoting the book As usual, Darwin did his best to obtain a wide and favourable …
- … (see Correspondence vol. 19, Appendix IV). Four of Darwin’s five sons received a copy, and his …
- … received a special acknowledgment in the form of a gift. Darwin credited her for whatever he had …
- … ‘to keep in memory of the book’ ( letter to H. E. Darwin, 20 March 1871 ). Reaction …
- … 1871). The geologist William Boyd Dawkins remarked on Darwin’s books’ reception amongst ‘artisans …
- … and the heavy use of their arms and legs ( letter from C. L. Bernays, 25 February 1871 ). Samples …
- … is a thing which I sh d feel very proud of, if anyone c d . say of me.’ After the publication …
- … was achieved through ‘the medium of opinion, positive law &c’, and transmitted by culture, not …
- … in the world except. laughing. crying grinning pouting &c. &c’, he wrote to Hooker on 21 …
- … so giddy I can hardly sit up, so no more’ ( letter to A. R. Wallace, 4 August [1871] ). On 23 …
- … annually on an acre of land at 16 tons (letter from L. C. Wedgwood, [20 November 1871] ). He also …
- … now left the family home. The Darwins' youngest son, Horace, entered Cambridge …
- … to pursue studies in mathematics and science ( letter to Horace Darwin, [15 December 1871] ). …
- … ( letter to Asa Gray, 16 July [1871] , letter to S. R. S. Norton, 23 November [1871] ). …
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: 25 hits
- … 7 November 1880, was the final large botanical work that Darwin wrote. It was the only work in which …
- … about their research while he was away from home. Although Darwin lacked a state of the art research …
- … the advantages of both while Francis was working abroad. Darwin was privy to the inner workings of …
- … methods and use the most advanced laboratory equipment. Darwin also benefitted from the instrument …
- … 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, …
- … about the nature of movement, so much so, that at one point Darwin had considered combining the …
- … digestive processes. With his final great botanical work, Darwin would attempt ‘ to bring all the …
- … emotions had their origins in non-human animal expression. Darwin had not done experimental work in …
- … viewed the division between animals and plants as absolute, Darwin was interested in similarities. …
- … become adapted to perform new functions, like climbing? For Darwin, physiology was a way of seeing …
- … attracting students from all over Europe and beyond. When Darwin’s son Francis worked in this …
- … ‘Mad about drops of water’ Darwin’s interest in the diversified movements of …
- … off as completely as possible ’. He had also asked Horace to discuss the point with his friend …
- … ‘ Frank & I are working very hard on bloom & sleep &c.; but I am horribly afraid all …
- … that exhibited all three types of movement ( letter from R. I. Lynch, [before 28 July 1877] ). ‘ …
- … made ’. Jemmy (a nickname for Darwin’s youngest son Horace) did, indeed, design an improved version …
- … to learn about cutting thin sections of soft leaves &c.— Lastly the instrument for making marks …
- … but a version of it was made by Darwin’s youngest son Horace, who also made an improved version of …
- … the curious mode of germination ’ and concluded, ‘ M r Rattan seems to be a real good observer, …
- … or ‘The Nature of the Movements of Plants’ ( letter to R. F. Cooke, 23 April [1880] ). Cooke …
- … was willing to publish on the usual terms ( letter from R. F. Cooke, 15 July 1880 ). This was also …
- … pay more for at the usual rate of charging per inch &c they w d . be over £40’; he suggested …
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: 18 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 …
- … Women: Letter 1194 - Darwin to Whitby, M. A. T., [12 August 1849] Darwin …
- … peculiarities in inheritance. Letter 3787 - Darwin, H. E. to Darwin, [29 October …
- … in her garden. Letter 4523 - Wedgwood, L. C. to Darwin, [6 June 1864] …
- … . Letter 5745 - Barber, M. E. to Darwin, [after February 1867] Mary Barber …
- … Henrietta. Letter 7179 - Wedgwood, L. C. to Darwin, [5 May 1870] …
- … the wallpaper. Letter 5756 - Langton, E. & C. to Wedgwood S. E., [after 9 …
- … Letter 1701 - Morris, M. H. to Prior, R. C. A., [17 June 1855] Margaretta Hare Morris …
- … in Llandudno. Letter 4823 - Wedgwood, L. C. to Darwin, H. E., [May 1865] …
- … Letter 8144 - Darwin to Wedgwood, L. C., [5 January 1872] Darwin asks his niece, …
- … Lychnis diurna. Letter 8168 - Ruck, A. R . to Darwin, H., [20 January 1872] …
- … on furrows and earthworm activity to her brother-in-law, Horace. She has dug a number of trenches, …
- … lawn. Letter 8224 - Darwin to Ruck, A. R., [24 February 1872] Darwin …
- … Letter 9606 - Harrison, L. C. to Darwin, [22 August 1874] Darwin’s niece, Lucy, …
- … Letter 1701 - Morris, M. H. to Prior, R. C. A., [17 June 1855] Margaretta Hare Morris …
- … garden ”. Letter 6083 - Casparay, J. X. R. to Darwin, [2 April 1868] …
- … Letter 7858 - Darwin to Wa llace, A. R., [12 July 1871] Darwin tells Wallace that …
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: 29 hits
- … Charles Darwin’s observations on the development of his children,[1] began the …
- … is available below . As with much of his other work, Darwin gathered additional information on the …
- … lunatics, the blind, and animals. And as early as 1839 Darwin had begun to collect information on …
- … the expression of emotions. As the following transcript of Darwin’s notes reveals, he closely …
- … William Erasmus, the stages of his development suggesting to Darwin those expressions which are …
- … 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 …
- … the record breaks off until January 1852, by which time the Darwin family had increased by five: …
- … born 16 August 1848; Leonard, born 15 January 1850; and Horace, born 18 May 1851. It appears to have …
- … the onset of frowning, smiling, etc., as was the focus of Darwin’s attention on William and Anne, …
- … of logical thought and language. On 20 May 1854, Darwin again took over the notebook and, …
- … all the notes until July 1856, when the observations ceased. Darwin’s later entries, like Emma’s, …
- … Transcription: 1 [9] W. Erasmus. Darwin born. Dec. 27 th . 1839.—[10] During first week. …
- … of muscles, without a corresponding sensation. D r . Holland[12] informs me children do not …
- … trowsers. Emma one morning put on an unconspicuous bonnet of C. Langton,[52] W. instantly observed …
- … she added an s to the end of every word “Ettis & Bettis &c afterwards all the ws were turned …
- … goed dawn to the willage”. Fish for Smith. Kaw for cow. &c. Lenny[61] 2 years old speaks …
- … ought to do what a child says to a maid.[70] 46 Horace[71] 2½. G. When shall you wean …
- … But Papa you ought to forgive me if I do. 46v. Horace seeing one of the huntsman not in a …
- … P. Yes. Well I will then. Lenny trying to amuse Horace (crying Baby I said I”d got a bit of …
- … any thing with my egg. Miss Th. Shall I cut up y r meat? L. I don’t care whether you do or …
- … “But I could not help it”— I said “Lenny you c d help it, don’t say that”. “I could not help it a …
- … ”.[76] June 6— 1854. Lenny after quarrelling with Horace, “I feel that I shall never play …
- … (ie liquorice) 49v. July 25 th[77] /54/ Horace struck Lenny with a rake & Lenny …
- … “I bets that is a rum thing”, the bet being offered to Horace Lenny. When ill with Fever & …
- … if you won’t, you must.”— 50bv. [80] Horace 3 yrs old walking with Bessy in London saw a …
- … you the nature of these sort of persons (meaning himself & Horace who were making a horrid mess) …
Darwin in letters, 1868: Studying sex
Summary
The quantity of Darwin’s correspondence increased dramatically in 1868 due largely to his ever-widening research on human evolution and sexual selection.Darwin’s theory of sexual selection as applied to human descent led him to investigate aspects of the…
Matches: 25 hits
- … On 6 March 1868, Darwin wrote to the entomologist and accountant John Jenner Weir, ‘If any …
- … he ought to do what I am doing pester them with letters.’ Darwin was certainly true to his word. The …
- … and sexual selection. In Origin , pp. 87–90, Darwin had briefly introduced the concept of …
- … process. In a letter to Alfred Russel Wallace in 1864, Darwin claimed that sexual selection was ‘the …
- … to the stridulation of crickets. At the same time, Darwin continued to collect material on …
- … his immediate circle of friends and relations. In July 1868 Darwin was still anticipating that his …
- … which was devoted to sexual selection in the animal kingdom. Darwin described his thirst for …
- … in January 1868. A final delay caused by the indexing gave Darwin much vexation. ‘My book is …
- … 1867 and had expected to complete it in a fortnight. But at Darwin’s request, he modified his …
- … the text. This increased the amount of work substantially. Darwin asked Murray to intervene, …
- … … though it would be a great loss to the Book’. But Darwin’s angry letter to Murray crossed one from …
- … blank’ ( letter from W. S. Dallas, 8 January 1868 ). Darwin sympathised, replying on 14 January …
- … as stone, if it were not quite mollified by your note’. Darwin enclosed a cheque to Dallas for £55 …
- … and descent in the Fortnightly Review , and asked Darwin for comments. Darwin was clearly …
- … it was by Gray himself, but Darwin corrected him: ‘D r Gray would strike me in the face, but not …
- … . It is a disgrace to the paper’ ( letter from A. R. Wallace, 24 February [1868] ). The review was …
- … April 1868 . The letter was addressed to ‘the Rev d C. Darwin M.d’; Binstead evidently assumed …
- … I did not see this, or rather I saw it only obs[c]urely, & have kept only a few references.’ …
- … as life he wd find the odour sexual!’ ( letter to A . R. Wallace, 16 September [1868] ). Francis …
- … south of France to Sarah Elizabeth Wedgwood on 9 Novembe r, describing sphinx moths that were …
- … question of the “Origin of Species”’ ( letter from A. R. Wallace, 4 October 1868 ). …
- … hands of the enemies of Nat. Selection’ ( letter from A. R. Wallace, 8 [April] 1868 ). …
- … of her two-month old daughter Katherine ( letter from C. M. Hawkshaw to Emma Darwin, 9 February …
- … rest mostly on faith, and on accumulation of adaptations, &c) … Of course I understand your …
- … at Leonards success’, Darwin wrote to his youngest son, Horace, on 26 July , ‘is it not splendid? …
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: 23 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 …
- … memory in November 1880 and in an abusive letter about Darwin in the St James’s Gazette on 8 …
- … in a review of Unconscious memory in Kosmos and sent Darwin a separate letter for …
- … the sale of books being ‘a game of chance’ ( letter to R. F. Cooke, 12 April 1881 ). On 18 May …
- … he would feel ‘less sulky in a day or two’ ( letter to R. F. Cooke, 29 July 1881 ). The degree of …
- … falls at this late period of the season’ ( letter from R. F. Cooke, 30 July 1881 ). Darwin gave in …
- … with you’, a Swedish teacher told him ( letter from C. E. Södling, 14 October 1881 ), while H. M. …
- … to possibilities for women, judging from her organization &c’. When Darwin replied the following …
- … ‘bread-winners’ ( Correspondence vol. 30, letter to C. A. Kennard, 9 January 1882 ). …
- … publication & to acknowledge any criticism’ ( letter to C. G. Semper, 19 July 1881 ). He …
- … to bear the ‘wear & tear of controversy’ ( letter to G. R. Jesse, 23 April 1881 ). Later in …
- … everyone else’s judgment on the subject ( letter to A. R. Wallace, 12 July 1881 ). However, some …
- … was the progress of his sons’ careers. The success of Horace’s recently established Cambridge …
- … do not be disappointed if the sale is small’ ( letter to R. F. Cooke, 5 October 1881 ). The …
- … proved ‘the greatness of their power’ ( letter from M. C. Stanley, 16 October 1881 ). Hooker …
- … men the true methods of investigation’ ( letter from C. V. Riley, 18 December 1881 ). …
- … the help of Lord Rayleigh, George Darwin, and Horace Darwin—the task of defending Darwin’s arguments …
- … grandson, was born in Cambridge. His parents, Ida and Horace Darwin, named him Erasmus in honour of …
Fake Darwin: myths and misconceptions
Summary
Many myths have persisted about Darwin's life and work. Here are a few of the more pervasive ones, with full debunking below...
Matches: 1 hits
- … Many myths have persisted about Darwin's life and work. Here are a few of the more pervasive …
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: 27 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 …
- … 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 …
- … 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 …
- … problems of heredity Another important criticism that Darwin sought to address in the fifth …
- … prevailing theory of blending inheritance that Jenkin and Darwin both shared, would tend to be lost …
- … ( Origin 5th ed., pp. 103–4). The terminology that Darwin and others employed in these matters ( …
- … ‘I must have expressed myself atrociously’, Darwin wrote to Alfred Russel Wallace on 2 February , …
- … now see is possible or probable’ (see also letter to A. R. Wallace, 22 January [1869] , and …
- … of Origin was the result of correspondence between Darwin and the geologist James Croll. In the …
- … but it was his theory of alternate ice ages that piqued Darwin’s interest the most. He wrote, ‘this …
- … of information which I have sent prove of any service to M r . Darwin I can supply him with much …
- … & proximate cause in regard to Man’ ( letter to A. R. Wallace, 14 April 1869 ). More …
- … and the bird of paradise (Wallace 1869a; letter to A. R. Wallace, 22 March [1869] ), and …
- … an injustice & never demands justice’ ( letter to A. R. Wallace, 14 April 1869 ). …
- … species that Darwin had investigated in depth ( letter from C. F. Claus, 6 February 1869 ). In a …
- … genus that he had studied in the early 1860s ( letter to W. C. Tait, 12 and 16 March 1869 ). This …
- … Sweetland Dallas’s edition of Fritz Müller’s Für Darwin (Dallas trans. 1869). The book, an …
- … creation, if he is not completely staggered after reading y r essay’. The work received a …
- … whole meeting was decidedly Huxley’s answer to D r M c Cann. He literally poured boiling oil …
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: 24 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 …
- … 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 …
- … and his baby son Bernard now part of the household, and Darwin recasting his work on dimorphic and …
- … had involved much time and effort the previous year, and Darwin clearly wanted to focus his …
- … of the second edition of Climbing plants ( letter from R. F. Cooke, 23 February 1876 ). When …
- … single-volume edition titled Geological observations , Darwin resisted making any revisions at …
- … volume, Coral reefs , already in its second edition. Darwin was nevertheless ‘firmly resolved not …
- … meticulous correction of errors in the German editions made Darwin less anxious about correcting the …
- … to Carus. ( Letter to J. V. Carus, 24 April 1876. ) Darwin focused instead on the second …
- … concentrated on the ‘means of crossing’, was seen by Darwin as the companion to Cross and self …
- … return to old work than part of the future work outlined by Darwin in his ‘little Autobiography’ ( …
- … holiday after finishing Cross and self fertilisation , Darwin took up the suggestion made by a …
- … for his family only. Writing for an hour every afternoon, Darwin finished his account on 3 August …
- … effected by his forthcoming pamphlet, Darwin confounded (C. O’Shaughnessy 1876), which, he …
- … and who had succeeded in giving him pain ( letter to A. R. Wallace, 17 June 1876 ). Although …
- … year’s experiments’ ( letter from G. J. Romanes, [ c . 19 March 1876] ). A less welcome reaction …
- … for the real machine.’ It was the mechanically minded Horace, however, who was the first to type a …
- … it is. ’ After describing how you ‘ play on keys ’, Horace pointed out that in less than a day he …
- … to present it to the Royal Society. He was pleased that Horace was off to Birmingham to lecture to …
- … because of a ‘long and terrible illness’ ( letter to C. S. Wedgwood, 20 April 1876 ). By the time …
- … in harmony with yours’ ( letter from George Henslow, [ c. 7 December 1876] ). A more typical …
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: 30 hits
- … lessen injury to leaves from radiation In 1878, Darwin devoted most of his attention to …
- … in this process. Working closely with his son Francis, Darwin devised a series of experiments to …
- … plant laboratories in Europe. While Francis was away, Darwin delighted in his role as …
- … 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 …
- … birthday ( letter to Ernst Haeckel, 12 February [1878] ), Darwin reflected that it was ‘more …
- … Expression ), and the final revision of Origin (1872), Darwin had turned almost exclusively to …
- … Movement in plants In the spring of 1878, Darwin started to focus on the first shoots and …
- … were enrolled as researchers, as were family members. Darwin asked his niece Sophy to observe …
- … ( letter to Sophy Wedgwood, 24 March [1878–80] ). While Darwin was studying the function of …
- … on one side, then another, to produce movement in the stalk. Darwin compared adult and young leaves …
- … after growth has ceased or nearly ceased.’ Finally, Darwin turned to plant motion below the …
- … precision the lines of least resistance in the ground.’ Darwin would devote a whole chapter to the …
- … that he missed sensitiveness of apex’ ( letter to Francis Darwin, [11 May 1878] ). Having …
- … moisture, and various chemical and nutritive substances, Darwin next considered sound. He explained …
- … instrument to various plants. To confirm the results, Darwin borrowed a siren from Tyndall, who had …
- … ill-luck to them, are not sensitive to aerial vibrations’, Darwin complained. ‘I am ashamed at my …
- … 8 August. ‘Alas Frank is off tomorrow to Wurzburg,’ Darwin wrote to Thiselton-Dyer on 2 June , ‘ …
- … Thiselton-Dyer, 18 June [1878] ). While Francis was away, Darwin sent regular reports about their …
- … to, about my work, I scribble to you ( letter to Francis Darwin, 7 [July 1878] ). Two weeks later …
- … not having you to discuss it with’ ( letter to Francis Darwin, 20 [July 1878] ). It is …
- … had chlorophyll, Francis reported ( letter from Francis Darwin, [after 7 July 1878] ): ‘The oats …
- … not easily be obtained at Down House, but Francis thought Horace’s abilities were a match for German …
- … we must have’, Francis wrote ( letter from Francis Darwin, [before 17 July 1878] ), ‘a strong …
- … the one here is far from well made.’ (Jemmy or Jim was Horace’s nickname.) Francis was …
- … Record”’ ( letter from Edmund Mojsisovics von Mojsvár, 28 April 1878 ). ‘What a wonderful change …
- … opponent’ ( Correspondence vol. 24, letter to T. C. Eyton, 22 April 1876 ). ‘When I first read …
- … secretary, Robert Arthur Talbot Gascoyne-Cecil ( letter to R. A. T. Gascoyne-Cecil, 18 May 1878 ). …
- … to natural science & aids me in my work; a 4th son is in the R. Engineers & is getting on …
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: 18 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 …
- … jolly’ ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 7 January [1865] ). Darwin was ready to submit his paper on …
- … a sudden illness. Falconer was 56, almost the same age as Darwin himself. Falconer had seconded …
- … supported his candidacy, and had tried hard to persuade Darwin to accept the award in person (see …
- … Darwin had received a copy of Müller’s book, Für Darwin , a study of the Crustacea with reference …
- … … inheritance, reversion, effects of use & disuse &c’, and which he intended to publish in …
- … He wrote to Hooker, ‘I doubt whether you or I or any one c d do any good in healing this breach. …
- … Hooker’s behalf, ‘He asks if you saw the article of M r . Croll in the last Reader on the …
- … he wrote to Hooker that all the family were well, including Horace, who had been sickly for some …
- … were still at school in Clapham, south-west London, and Horace was seeing a private tutor. Henrietta …
- … ‘As for your thinking that you do not deserve the C[opley] Medal,’ he rebuked Hooker, ‘that I …
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: 23 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 …
- … Finishing Descent; postponing Expression Darwin began receiving proofs of some of the …
- … ( letter to Albert Günther, 13 January [1870] ). Darwin was still working hard on parts of the …
- … style, the more grateful I shall be’ ( letter to H. E. Darwin, [8 February 1870] ). She had …
- … , the latter when she was just eighteen years of age. Darwin clearly expected her to make a …
- … have thought that I shd. turn parson?’ ( letter to H. E. Darwin, [8 February 1870] ). Henrietta …
- … so unimportant as the mind of man!’ ( letter from H. E. Darwin, [after 8 February 1870] ). …
- … philanthropist Frances Power Cobbe. At Cobbe’s suggestion, Darwin read some of Immanuel Kant’s …
- … ( letter to F. P. Cobbe, 23 March [1870?] ). Cobbe accused Darwin of smiling in his beard with …
- … as animals: ears Despite Cobbe’s plea, most of Darwin’s scientific attention in 1870 was …
- … fairy in Shakespeare’s A midsummer night’s dream. Darwin obtained a sketch of a human ear from …
- … of a pointed tip projecting inward from the folded margin. Darwin, who had posed for the sculptor in …
- … this volume, letter to Thomas Woolner, 10 March [1870] ). Darwin included Woolner’s sketch in …
- … muscles A more troubling anatomical feature for Darwin was the platysma myoides, a band of …
- … of fright’, and one of his photographs, later used by Darwin in Expression , showed a man whose …
- … letter from James Crichton-Browne, 15 March 1870 ). Indeed, Darwin noted the same longitudinal …
- … who sent a sketch of a baby’s brows ( letter from L. C. Wedgwood, [5 May 1870] ). He also wrote to …
- … (in retrograde direction) naturalist’ (letter to A. R.Wallace, 26 January [1870]). …
- … it is puzzle enough in every case whatever; & what our Boy Horace is to do, I know no more than …
- … him to have private instruction in mathematics. He wrote to Horace’s tutor at Trinity to request …
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: 30 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 …
- … assisted his father’s research on movement and bloom, and Darwin in turn encouraged his son’s own …
- … 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 …
- … as dimorphic without comparing pollen-grains & stigmas’, Darwin remarked to Joseph Dalton …
- … measurements of the size and number of pollen-grains, Darwin compared the fertility of individual …
- … primrose and purple loosestrife. In the course of his work, Darwin found a number of other …
- … dreadful work making out anything about dried flowers’, Darwin complained to Asa Gray on 8 March …
- … which include heterstyled species. This pleases me.’. Darwin dedicated the book to Gray, ‘as a small …
- … separate publications together into a larger whole enabled Darwin to advance more speculative views …
- … both pollen and seeds’ ( Forms of flowers , p. 344). Darwin was typically pessimistic about the …
- … be sold’. His publisher knew from previous experience that Darwin was a poor judge of sales, and …
- … after completing his manuscript of Forms of flowers , Darwin took up the problem of ‘bloom’ in …
- … characteristic whose purpose was little understood. Darwin had begun studying bloom in August 1873, …
- … one of the young leaves with a delicate twig’ ( letter to R. I. Lynch, 14 September 1877 ). …
- … but I think the great honour of its being printed in the R. Soc. Transactions, (sh d . the …
- … larger aim was announced in the subtitle: Zeitschrift für einheitliche Weltanschauung auf Grund …
- … ‘but found him as soft & smooth as butter’ ( letter to C. E. Norton, 16 March 1877 ). Hooker …
- … I hope it may remain for centuries to come’ ( letter from C. C. Graham, 30 January 1877 ). Graham …
- … of Siebold’s study of medical monstrosity ( letter from C. T. E. Siebold, 10 October 1877 ). An …
- … any recognition by any public bodies of England & that y r . own University w d . like to be …
- … made the journey along with Emma. George, Francis, and Horace also attended. The ceremony was held …
- … at the Senate House yesterday, with a suspended monkey &c; but I believe the cheering was more …
- … that had gradually sunk from the burrowing of worms. Horace started building a ‘wormograph’ to …
- … buried ( letter from Francis Darwin, [28 October 1877?] ). Horace went with Francis to examine the …
The "wicked book": Origin at 157
Summary
Origin is 157 years old. (Probably) the most famous book in science was published on 24 November 1859. To celebrate we have uploaded hundreds of new images of letters, bringing the total number you can look at here to over 9000 representing more than…
Matches: 9 hits
- … book appeared. You can now see examples of letters to Darwin from nearly 250 different people, and …
- … Lyell , and Joseph Hooker , the two men who arranged for Darwin’s and Wallace’s ideas to be made …
- … Asa Gray who was an important sounding board for Darwin’s emerging ideas, and Thomas Huxley …
- … scrap from 1857 comparing his views on species to Darwin’s. Others, like Hugh Falconer , …
- … the less well-known scientific collaborators who became Darwin's correspondents, Mary Treat …
- … William, George, Henrietta , Francis , Leonard, and Horace. Francis’s fiancée, Amy Ruck, was …
- … of water thrown over me on rising William Darwin Fox , Charles’s cousin and another …
- … W. T. Thiselton-Dyer George Cupples H. C. Watson J. J. Weir H. W. Bates …
- … Frederick Smith A. G. Butler John Lubbock R. I. Lynch J. B. Burdon Sanderson …
