To John Washington 14 October [1839]
Summary
Returns proof-sheets of an article he has reviewed for the Journal of the Royal Geographical Society. He will find it useful when he comes to describe the Cordilleras of Chile.
| Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Addressee: | John Washington; Royal Geographical Society |
| Date: | 14 Oct [1839] |
| Classmark: | Royal Geographical Society |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-536 |
To John Washington [14 October 1839]
Summary
Returns proofs of J. O. French’s article ["Account of the province of La Rioja: S. America", J. R. Geogr. Soc. 9 (1839): 381–406].
Gratified by Humboldt’s praise of Journal of researches [J. R. Geogr. Soc. 9 (1839): 502].
| Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Addressee: | John Washington; Royal Geographical Society |
| Date: | [14 Oct 1839] |
| Classmark: | Royal Geographical Society |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-537 |
To Leonard Jenyns 14 October [1839]
Summary
Informs LJ that Yarrell has recommended B. W. Hawkins to do the plates [for Fish]. Discusses arrangements to be made, number of plates, etc. Answers LJ’s questions about several specimens.
| Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Addressee: | Leonard Jenyns; Leonard Blomefield |
| Date: | 14 Oct [1839] |
| Classmark: | Bath Royal Literary and Scientific Institution |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-538 |
To A. Y. Spearman 14 October 1839
Summary
Presents the Smith, Elder & Co. account for the fourth number now published of the second part of the Zoology.
| Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Addressee: | Alexander Young Spearman, 1st baronet |
| Date: | 14 Oct 1839 |
| Classmark: | The National Archives (TNA) (T1/4524 paper 25824) |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-538A |
To Leonard Jenyns 17 October [1839]
Summary
Discusses details of arrangements for descriptions and engravings [for Fish].
| Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Addressee: | Leonard Jenyns; Leonard Blomefield |
| Date: | 17 Oct [1839] |
| Classmark: | Bath Royal Literary and Scientific Institution |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-539 |
To Leonard Jenyns [20 or 27 October 1839]
Summary
Details regarding Fish. CD is astonished how many new things LJ has found: "four new genera is something".
| Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Addressee: | Leonard Jenyns; Leonard Blomefield |
| Date: | [20 or 27] Oct 1839 |
| Classmark: | Bath Royal Literary and Scientific Institution |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-540 |
To W. D. Fox 24 October [1839]
Summary
Hopes to publish volume on coral formations in a few months.
He and Emma live quietly, having given up parties.
Asks WDF if he remembers the Darwin family motto. He means to have a "seal solemnly engraved".
| Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Addressee: | William Darwin Fox |
| Date: | 24 Oct [1839] |
| Classmark: | Christ’s College Library, Cambridge (MS 53 Fox 58) |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-541 |
To Caroline Wedgwood [27 October 1839]
Summary
Describes his routine for a typical day – writing Coral reefs, studying German.
FitzRoy’s "Deluge Chapter" [Narrative 2, ch. 28] will amuse her.
His opinion of Carlyle’s Critical and miscellaneous essays [1839].
| Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Addressee: | Caroline Sarah (Caroline) Darwin; Caroline Sarah (Caroline) Wedgwood |
| Date: | [27 Oct 1839] |
| Classmark: | DAR 154: 54 |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-542 |
To J. S. Henslow [10 November 1839]
Summary
Urges JSH to describe Galapagos species in a paper on the flora of the islands.
Has been interested in geographical distribution and would be interested to have a paper by JSH on the general character of flora of Tierra del Fuego and Patagonia.
"I keep on steadily collecting every sort of fact which may throw light on the origin & variation of species."
| Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Addressee: | John Stevens Henslow |
| Date: | [10 Nov 1839] |
| Classmark: | The Morgan Library and Museum, New York (Heineman Collection MA 7127) |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-543 |
To John Washington 1 November [1839]
Summary
CD thinks report of a rock imbedded in an iceberg is remarkable; wants to write a note for the [Journal] about it. Asks for location of the sighting and a chart of the Antarctic Sea. [See "Rock seen on an iceberg", Collected papers 1: 137–9.]
| Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Addressee: | John Washington; Royal Geographical Society |
| Date: | 1 Nov [1839] |
| Classmark: | Royal Geographical Society |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-544 |
To Alexander von Humboldt 1 November 1839
Summary
Gratified by AvH’s letter.
Sends data on temperature of the sea in the Galapagos, South Pacific, and the Abrolhos Islands.
| Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Addressee: | Friedrich Wilhelm Heinrich Alexander (Alexander) von Humboldt |
| Date: | 1 Nov 1839 |
| Classmark: | Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin – Preußischer Kulturbesitz (Nachl. Alexander von Humboldt, gr. Kasten 4, Nr. 22, Bl. 1–2) |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-545 |
To W. H. Miller 22 [November 1839]
Summary
Asks if WHM would be interested in the meteorological observations of the Falkland Islands made by B. J. Sulivan on a recent survey. Such observations are rare and appear to CD to have many points of interest.
| Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Addressee: | William Hallowes Miller |
| Date: | 22 [Nov 1839] |
| Classmark: | American Philosophical Society (Mss.B.D25.) |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-546 |
To A. Y. Spearman 27 November 1839
Summary
Encloses the Smith, Elder & Co. account for the fourth number now published of the third part of the Zoology.
| Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Addressee: | Alexander Young Spearman, 1st baronet |
| Date: | 27 Nov 1839 |
| Classmark: | The National Archives (TNA) (T1/4524 paper 25824) |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-546A |
To T. C. Eyton [30 November 1839]
Summary
Sends bird specimens for examination by TCE [for Birds].
| Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Addressee: | Thomas Campbell Eyton |
| Date: | [30 Nov 1839] |
| Classmark: | American Philosophical Society (Mss.B.D25.17) |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-547 |
From J. G. Malcolmson 30 November 1839
Summary
Sends specimens of coralline with vermiform holes.
J. Allan’s observations of Aldabra and the Cormoros [see Coral reefs, p. 186] and news of his experiments on the growth of coral.
| Author: | John Grant Malcolmson |
| Addressee: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Date: | 30 Nov 1839 |
| Classmark: | DAR 39: 15–17 |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-548 |
From J. G. Malcolmson [after 7 October 1839]
Summary
Comments on the discussion of erratic blocks in Journal of researches [pp. 619, 621–2].
| Author: | John Grant Malcolmson |
| Addressee: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Date: | [after 7 Oct 1839] |
| Classmark: | DAR 50: C24–5 |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-559 |
| Darwin, C. R. | (57) |
| Darwin, Emma | (7) |
| Wedgwood, Emma | (7) |
| Malcolmson, J. G. | (5) |
| FitzRoy, Robert | (3) |
| Darwin, C. R. | (38) |
| Royal Geographical Society | (5) |
| Spearman, A. Y. | (5) |
| Babbage, Charles | (4) |
| Blomefield, Leonard | (4) |
Darwin’s reading notebooks
Summary
In April 1838, Darwin began recording the titles of books he had read and the books he wished to read in Notebook C (Notebooks, pp. 319–28). In 1839, these lists were copied and continued in separate notebooks. The first of these reading notebooks (DAR 119…
Matches: 26 hits
- … to read in Notebook C ( Notebooks , pp. 319–28). In 1839, these lists were copied and continued in …
- … in the Royal Society of London (Royal Society of London 1839) has been heavily marked, and quite a …
- … Pierquin, published in Paris (in 2 vols.), so long ago as 1839 4 [Pierquin de Gembloux 1839]. …
- … 1814–29] D r Royle on Himmalaya types [Royle 1839] (read) Smellie Philosophy of …
- … 12 by Owen in Encyclop. of Anat. & Physiology [R. Owen 1839] Dampier probably worth …
- … on subjects of science connected with Nat. Theol: [Brougham 1839] on instinct & animal …
- … 1808] Brit. & Foreign Medical Rev. N o 14. Ap 1839 [Anon. 1839b] Rev. on Walker on …
- … Smart 17 Beginning of a New School of metaphysic. [Smart 1839] about connection of language & …
- … Babbington on Flora of Channel Isl d . [Babington 1839] says he has remarks on affinities of …
- … 1816 [Gallesio 1816]— quoted by D r . Holland [Holland 1839] (p. 27) as good— Decandoelle …
- … [Thacker 1834–5] p. 291 Athenæum 1839. p. 546— M r Conrad has published …
- … Arboretum [Loudon 1838] in Edinburgh Review July 1839 [Anon. 1839a]— there are pencil remarks on it. …
- … [Reimarius 1760] The Highlands & Western Isl ds letter to Sir W Scott [MacCulloch 1824 …
- … 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 …
- … ( Notebooks , pp. 319–28). 55 The letter was addressed to Nicholas Aylward Vigors …
- … to William Jackson Hooker. See Correspondence vol. 3, letter to J. D. Hooker, [5 or 12 November …
- … 119: 21b Broughton, William Grant. 1832. A letter in vindication of the principles of …
- … by Bekhur to Garoo and the Lake Manasarowara: with a letter from … J. G. Gerard, Esq. …
- … 1830. On the dying struggle of the dichotomous sytem. In a letter to N. A. Vigors. Philosophical …
- … *119: 8v., 22v.; *128: 165 ——. 1850a. Letter to the Rev. John Bachman, on the question of …
- … art of improving the breeds of domestic animals. In a letter addressed to the Right Hon. Sir …
- … 1820. Remarks on the improvement of cattle, &c. in a letter to Sir John Saunders Sebright, …
Darwin in letters, 1837–1843: The London years to 'natural selection'
Summary
The seven-year period following Darwin's return to England from the Beagle voyage was one of extraordinary activity and productivity in which he became recognised as a naturalist of outstanding ability, as an author and editor, and as a professional…
Matches: 11 hits
- … they show for one another’s sensibilities. Early in 1839 the couple set up house in London and at …
- … and set in type by November 1837, though not published until 1839, when it appeared as the third …
- … letters have suffered an even more severe loss. In a letter to Lyell’s sister-in-law, Katharine …
- … of fact . . . on the origin & variation of species” ( Letter to J. S. Henslow, [November 1839] …
- … that he had a sound solution to what J. F. W. Herschel in a letter to Lyell had called the ‘mystery …
- … about searching for evidence to support his hypothesis. In a letter to Lyell, [14] September [1838 …
- … just the same, though I know what I am looking for' ( Letter to G. R. Waterhouse, [26 July …
- … Marriage Darwin married Emma Wedgwood in January 1839. His hopes and fears about married life …
- … there were no doubts as to how one ought to act’ ( Letter from Emma Darwin, [ c. February 1839] …
- … for several months (See Correspondence vol. 1, letter to Caroline Darwin, 13 October 1834 , …
- … notebook). See also Allan 1977, pp. 128–30). The letter, on ‘Double flowers’ to the …
Science: A Man’s World?
Summary
Discussion Questions|Letters Darwin's correspondence show that many nineteenth-century women participated in the world of science, be it as experimenters, observers, editors, critics, producers, or consumers. Despite this, much of the…
Matches: 17 hits
- … feminine world of family, home and sociability. Letter 489 - Darwin to Wedgwood, E., …
- … an hour “with poor Mrs. Lyell sitting by”. Letter 3715 - Claparède, J. L. R. A. E. to …
- … whose attractions are not those of her sex”. Letter 4038 - Darwin to Lyell, C., [12-13 …
- … her own steam and is a “first rate critic”. Letter 4377 - Haeckel, E. P. A. to Darwin, …
- … ornaments in the making of feminine works”. Letter 4441 - Becker, L. E. to Darwin, [30 …
- … the young, especially ladies, to study nature. Letter 4940 - Cresy, E. to Darwin, E., …
- … Anderson is “neither masculine nor pedantic”. Letter 6976 - Darwin to Blackwell, A. B., …
- … to him as a published science author, is a man. Letter 7314 - Kovalevsky, S. to Darwin, …
- … Theoriae Functionum Ellipticarum , (1829). Letter 7329 - Murray, J. to Darwin, [28 …
- … to prick up what little is left of them ears”. Letter 8055 - Hennell, S. S. to Darwin, …
- … almost out of a woman’s natural thinking”. Letter 8079 - Norton, S. R. to Darwin, [20 …
- … but has not read the pamphlet herself. Letter 8335 - Reade, W. W. to Darwin, [16 May …
- … narrative so not to lose the interest of women. Letter 8341 - Reade, W. W. to Darwin, …
- … which will make it more appealing to women. Letter 10746 – Darwin to Dicey, E. M., …
- … inability to cope well with the sight of blood. Letter 12389 - Johnson, M. to Darwin, …
- … to have entered the cave “since the flood”. Letter 13414 - Darwin to Harrison, L., [18 …
- … and possess strong powers of patience. Letter 13607 – Darwin to Kennard, C. A., [9 …
1.2 George Richmond, marriage portrait
Summary
< Back to Introduction Few likenesses of Darwin in his youth survive, although more may once have existed. In a letter of 1873 an old Shrewsbury friend, Arthur Mostyn Owen, offered to send Darwin a watercolour sketch of him, painted many years…
Matches: 9 hits
- … youth survive, although more may once have existed . In a letter of 1873 an old Shrewsbury friend, …
- … now at Down House, celebrated his marriage in January 1839 to his cousin Emma Wedgwood; the one of …
- … estimate of Richmond’s work can be gauged from a letter which Hooker wrote to Darwin some years …
- … his evolutionary theories. As early as February 1839, Elizabeth Wedgwood had written to her …
- … Richmond did not return from Italy until August or September 1839. Josiah Wedgwood himself wrote to …
- … twelve guineas for a portrait of some kind in December 1839, and a further payment of twelve guineas …
- … where it appears as the frontispiece, she had dated it to 1839; and, puzzlingly, she said there that …
- … Down House MSS, Darwin’s account books, entry for Dec. 1839. Joseph Hooker, letter to Darwin, 17 …
- … this seemingly conflicts with the indications in Erasmus’s letter of 1866, quoted above. …
Natural Science and Femininity
Summary
Discussion Questions|Letters A conflation of masculine intellect and feminine thoughts, habits and feelings, male naturalists like Darwin inhabited an uncertain gendered identity. Working from the private domestic comfort of their homes and exercising…
Matches: 16 hits
- … Britain? Letters Letter 109 - Wedgwood, J. to Darwin, …
- … pursuit of real, professional work on his return. Letter 158 - Darwin to Darwin, R. W., …
- … colour and “beauty” of tropical vegetation. Letter 542 - Darwin to Wedgwood, C. S., [27 …
- … meals, family time and walks into town with Emma. Letter 555 - Darwin to FitzRoy, R., …
- … ‘ A Biographical Sketch of an Infant ’. Letter 2781 - Doubleday, H. to Darwin, [3 May …
- … them in the north-facing borders of his garden. Letter 2864 - Darwin to Hooker, J. D., …
- … and “never saw anything so beautiful”. Letter 4230 - Darwin to Gardeners’ Chronicle, [2 …
- … linked with his domestic family life. Letter 4377 - Haeckel, E. P. A. to Darwin, [2 …
- … at least provide Darwin with aesthetic pleasure. Letter 4436 - Darwin to Hooker, J. D., …
- … he has moved one or two of them into his bedroom. Letter 4469 - Hooker, J. D. to Darwin …
- … before expecting to dedicate his life to science. Letter 4472 - Hooker, J. D. to Darwin …
- … duty to the public to contribute more than this. Letter 6044 - Darwin to Darwin, G. H., …
- … and influence to help shape his sons’ fortunes. Letter 6046 - Weir, J. J. to Darwin, …
- … from the comfort of his “ pretty garden ”. Letter 6139 - Doubleday, H. to Darwin, [22 …
- … moths all of which were conducted in his home. Letter 6453 - Langton, E. to Wedgwood, S …
- … attracted to dark spots on the bedroom wallpaper. Letter 10821 - Graham C. C. to Darwin …
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: 6 hits
- … races, lunatics, the blind, and animals. And as early as 1839 Darwin had begun to collect …
- … development from the day of his birth, 27 December 1839, until September 1844. Parallels in the …
- … 1 [9] W. Erasmus. Darwin born. Dec. 27 th . 1839.—[10] During first week. yawned, streatched …
- … our door N o 12 and N o 11 is in the slit for the Letter box.— he decidedly ran past N o 11 …
- … has learned them from my sometimes changing the first letter in any word he is using—thus I say …
- … , pp. 131–2. [6] Correspondence vol. 2, letter from Emma Wedgwood, [23 January 1839] . …
Religion
Summary
Design|Personal Belief|Beauty|The Church Perhaps the most notorious realm of controversy over evolution in Darwin's day was religion. The same can be said of the evolution controversy today; however the nature of the disputes and the manner in…
Matches: 23 hits
- … of departure reviews of Origin . The second is a single letter from naturalist A. R. Wallace to …
- … everything is the result of “brute force”. Letter 2855 — Darwin, C. R. to Gray, Asa, 3 …
- … nature, as he is in a “muddle” on this issue. Letter 3256 — Darwin, C. R. to Gray, Asa, …
- … shares a witty thought experiment about an angel. Letter 3342 — Darwin, C. R. to Gray, …
- … He asks Gray some questions about design. Letter 6167 — Darwin, C. R. to Gray, Asa, 8 …
- … of my precipice”. Darwin and Wallace Letter 5140 — Wallace, A. R. to Darwin, …
- … of variations. Darwin and Graham Letter 13230 — Darwin, C. R. to Graham, …
- … of people, including members of his own family. Letter 441 — Wedgwood, Emma to Darwin, …
- … about his “honest & conscientious doubts”. Letter 471 — Darwin, Emma to Darwin, C. …
- … there is a danger in giving up revelation”. Letter 2534 — Kingsley, Charles to Darwin, …
- … need of an act of intervention to bring change. Letter 2548 — Sedgwick, Adam to Darwin, …
- … with that knowledge which only He can give me.” Letter 5303 — Boole, M. E. to Darwin, C …
- … that his theory be compatible with her faith. Letter 5307 — Darwin, C. R. to Boole, M. …
- … and science should each run its own course. Letter 8070 — Darwin, C. R. to Abbot, F. E. …
- … “with qualifications”, if he wishes. Letter 8837 — Darwin, C. R. to Doedes, N. D., 2 …
- … man’s intellect, “but man can do his duty”. Letter 12041 — Darwin, C. R. to Fordyce, …
- … most correct description of my state of mind”. Letter 12757 — Darwin, C. R. to Aveling, …
- … as examples to illustrate his ideas on beauty. Letter 4752 — Darwin, C. R. to Lyell, …
- … discusses humming birds and orchids as examples. Letter 4939 — Shaw, James to Darwin, C …
- … a long discussion on beauty in the natural world. Letter 4943 — Darwin, C. R. to Shaw, …
- … beauty of flowers is solely to attract insects. Letter 5003f — Shaw, James to Darwin, C …
- … Beauty against the Duke of Argyll’s criticisms. Letter 5004 — Darwin, C. R. to Shaw, …
- … of beauty being displayed in conspicuous parts. Letter 5060 — Shaw, James to Darwin, C. …
The evolution of honeycomb
Summary
Honeycombs are natural engineering marvels, using the least possible amount of wax to provide the greatest amount of storage space, with the greatest possible structural stability. Darwin recognised that explaining the evolution of the honey-bee’s comb…
Matches: 21 hits
- … on subjects connected with natural theology (1839), Brougham commented that bees acted with a …
- … suppose when we recollect who is her teacher’ (Brougham 1839, 1: 35, 77). William Kirby wrote of the …
- … no bee in the world ever made cylindrical cells (Brougham 1839, 1: 32). However, Darwin knew that …
- … principles and the proximity of other cells. Darwin’s letter has not been found, but from Waterhouse …
- … were not subject to the space constraints of other cells. (Letter from G. R. Waterhouse, 14 April …
- … diameter being determined by her power of reaching.’ (Letter from G. R. Waterhouse, 10 February …
- … were exercising their minds on the problem. In his next letter, Waterhouse described wasps’ nests …
- … formal constraints as a group of bees working together. (Letter from G. R. Waterhouse, 13 February …
- … mind on the subjects of wasp’s nests. He sent another long letter to Darwin on the subject, this …
- … the other straight sides that were bounded by other cells (letter from G. R. Waterhouse, 17 April …
- … arranged to look at Tegetmeier’s piece of honeycomb (letter to W. B. Tegetmeier, [21 April 1858] …
- … to keep an eye out for the first beginnings of the comb (letter to W. B. Tegetmeier, 9 May [1858] …
- … has not correctly described their manner of building’ (letter to W. E. Darwin, [26 May 1858] .) …
- … hardly been begun; & all must be very minute. ( See the letter ) Darwin was …
- … asked Tegetmeier to look out for isolated cylindrical cells (letter to W. B. Tegetmeier, 5 June …
- … ordering another hive from Tegetmeier, and buying a swarm (letter to W. B. Tegetmeier, 8 [June …
- … Waterhouse reviewed the latest controversies in his letter to Darwin of 2 August 1858 . The …
- … of bee cell sizes might have a simple explanation. (Letter to Richard Hill, 8 August [1859] .) …
- … are different sizes) was carried out in different ways (letter from Jeffries Wyman, 11 January …
- … Darwin’s conclusions about the building of cells. (Letter to W. B. Tegetmeier, 8 September [1858] …
- … bought to bear, a myth. In 1865, Darwin received a letter from Edward Cresy (letter from …
Introduction to the Satire of FitzRoy's Narrative of the Voyages of the Adventure and Beagle
Summary
'a humble toadyish follower…': Not all pictures of Darwin during the Beagle voyage are flattering. Published here for the first time is a complete transcript of a satirical account of the Beagle’s brief visit in 1836 to the Cocos Keeling islands…
Matches: 5 hits
- … voyages of His Majesty's Ships Adventure and Beagle (1839), was written by John Clunies Ross, …
- … in the Beagle , and especially the works published in 1839 by her captain, Robert FitzRoy and his …
- … are marked in roman numerals. Others relate to Darwin’s 1839 or 1845 volumes and Belcher’s …
- … are not so marked. A final set refers to a comparison of a letter and a newspaper editorial. In all …
- … star in the scientific world, and had copies of both the 1839 Narrative and the 1845 second edition …
Syms Covington
Summary
When Charles Darwin embarked on the Beagle voyage in 1831, Syms Covington was ‘fiddler & boy to Poop-cabin’. Covington kept an illustrated journal of his observations and experiences on the voyage, noting wildlife, landscapes, buildings and people and,…
Journal of researches
Summary
Within two months of the Beagle’s arrival back in England in October 1836, Darwin, although busy with distributing his specimens among specialists for description, and more interested in working on his geological research, turned his mind to the task of…
Matches: 4 hits
- … his ship . The Journal of Researches thus began life in 1839 as the third volume of the N …
- … the time the Narrative was eventually published in May 1839, FitzRoy’s volume showed just how …
- … with the title Journal of researches as early as August 1839. The speed with which this occurred …
- … Alexander von Humboldt, who wrote a long and appreciative letter about the ‘ excellent et admirable …
George James Stebbing
Summary
George James Stebbing (1803—1860) travelled around the world with Charles Darwin on board HMS Beagle and helped him with measuring temperature on at least one occasion. However, Stebbing barely registers in Darwin’s correspondence. The only mention omits…
Bibliography of Darwin’s geological publications
Summary
This list includes papers read by Darwin to the Geological Society of London, his books on the geology of the Beagle voyage, and other publications on geological topics. Author-date citations refer to entries in the Darwin Correspondence Project’s…
Matches: 3 hits
Darwin in letters, 1821-1836: Childhood to the Beagle voyage
Summary
Darwin's first known letters were written when he was twelve. They continue through school-days at Shrewsbury, two years as a medical student at Edinburgh University, the undergraduate years at Cambridge, and the of the voyage of H.M.S. Beagle.…
Experimenting with emotions
Summary
Darwin’s interest in emotions can be traced as far back as the Beagle voyage. He was fascinated by the sounds and gestures of the peoples of Tierra del Fuego. On his return, he started recording observations in a set of notebooks, later labelled '…
Matches: 8 hits
- … the behaviour of humans and animals. At the same time (1839), he embarked on a detailed study of his …
- … for the eyes, so as to show the wrinkles round them’ ( letter to A. D. Kindermann, [27 March 1871] …
- … sent sympathetically at the same time to the glands?” ( letter to William Bowman, 30 March [1868] …
- … After several years, Donders eventually sent a 16 page letter containing a digest of his experiments …
- … and the cerebrum, the seat of thought and volition ( letter from Frans Donders, 28 May 1870 ). The …
- … post an attempt to answer your questions”. In a very long letter, he made his best guess, …
- … distinct physiological (possibly anatomical) relation” (letter from Michael Foster, 4 June [1871] …
- … when nearly all agree in their answer, I trust him’ ( letter to James Crichton Browne, 8 June 1870 …
Darwin's works in letters
Summary
For the 163rd anniversary of the publication of Origin, we've added a new page to our Works in letters section on Cross and self fertilisation. These complement our existing pages on the 'big book' before Origin, Origin itself, the…
Orchids
Summary
Why Orchids? Darwin wrote in his Autobiography, ‘During the summer of 1839, and, I believe, during the previous summer, I was led to attend to the cross-fertilisation of flowers by the aid of insects, from having come to the conclusion in my…
Matches: 12 hits
- … wrote in his Autobiography , ‘During the summer of 1839, and, I believe, during the previous …
- … like no other. In June 1855, Darwin added a postscript to a letter to his close friend Joseph Dalton …
- … a period of intense orchid research, but June 1858 brought a letter that changed Darwin’s focus …
- … referred to it, appeared in May 1862 ( Orchids ). A letter to Hooker, on 5 June [1860] …
- … think of the case.’ Indeed, Darwin had just sent a long letter to Gardeners’ Chronicle asking …
- … of the question your being able to insert the whole [of the letter to Gardeners’ Chronicle ] in …
- … of Orchids have been found adhering. ’ The complete letter to Gardeners’ Chronicle was …
- … 1860. Looking even further afield, Darwin sent a copy of the letter to Asa Gray, remarking, ‘ …
- … see, a curious contradiction in structure. ’ The letter to Asa Gray highlights an important …
- … of the functional significance of this structure in a letter to More on 5 August 1860, ‘ Dr. H. is …
- … suffered a dangerous relapse in the interim, he wrote a long letter to his American friend Asa Gray, …
- … out separate sexes in Catasetum and Myanthus . In a letter to Daniel Oliver in December …
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: 29 hits
- … his publishers, he warned that it was ‘dry as dust’ ( letter to R. F. Cooke, 9 September 1879 ). …
- … turned out, alas, very dull & has disappointed me much’ ( letter to Francis Galton, 15 [June …
- … home again’, he fretted, just days before his departure ( letter to W. T. Thiselton-Dyer, [after 26 …
- … 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] ) …
- … on your life’s work, which is crowned with glory’ ( letter from Ernst Haeckel, 9 February 1879 ). …
- … to wish Darwin a ‘long and serene evening of life’. This letter crossed with one from Darwin, …
- … the statement ‘In the beginning was carbon’ ( letter from Hermann Müller, 14 February 1879 ). …
- … as the ‘organ of “uncultivated materialism”’ ( letter from Francis Darwin, [after 2 June 1879 ]). …
- … up the glory & would please Francis’, he pointed out ( letter from E. A. Darwin, 13 March [1879 …
- … wholly & shamefully ignorant of my grandfathers life’ ( letter to Ernst Krause, 14 March 1879 …
- … known philosopher and poet’ ( Correspondence vol. 1, letter from Francis Beaufort to Robert …
- … these things with the when & the where, & the who—’ ( letter from V. H. Darwin, 28 May …
- … paternal grandparents thought ‘perfect in every way’ ( letter from E. A. Wheler, 25 March 1879 ). …
- … and Darwin had not met (nor, it seems, corresponded) since 1839, but because Darwin’s name was so …
- … heard of him ‘constantly, & always with pride’ ( letter from Reginald Darwin, 29 March 1879 ). …
- … essay might end up ‘interfering with each other’ ( letter to Ernst Krause, 27 March 1879 ). Darwin …
- … made such an introduction ‘almost indispensable’ ( letter from Ernst Krause, 7 June 1879 ). Darwin …
- … everything into ridicule. He hates scientific men’ ( letter to Ernst Krause, 14 May 1879 ). …
- … must be ‘in some degree interesting to the public’ ( letter to Reginald Darwin, 10 April [1879] ). …
- … ‘very tastefully and well, and with little fatigue’ ( letter to G. H. Darwin, 12 July 1879 , and …
- … ‘more perplexed than ever about life of D r . D’ ( letter to Francis Darwin, 12 July [1879] ). …
- … telling, and he regretted going beyond his ‘tether’ ( letter to W. T. Thiselton-Dyer, 5 June 1879 …
- … never again to be tempted out of his ‘proper work’ ( letter to James Paget, 14 July 1879 ). At …
- … of the tips of radicles, the embryonic roots of seedlings ( letter to Francis Darwin, 16 June [1879 …
- … experienced obstacles from the start, as he reported in a letter of 29 May . Sachs had changed …
Darwin on marriage
Summary
On 11 November 1838 Darwin wrote in his journal ‘The day of days!’. He had proposed to his cousin, Emma Wedgwood, and been accepted; they were married on 29 January 1839. Darwin appears to have written these two notes weighing up the pros and cons of…
Matches: 3 hits
- … Wedgwood, and been accepted; they were married on 29 January 1839. Darwin appears to have written …
- … note was written in pencil on the three blank pages of the letter from Leonard Horner, 7 April [1838 …
- … definite prospect in mind at the time of writing, but in a letter to Charles Lyell, [12 November …
Darwin and Fatherhood
Summary
Charles Darwin married Emma Wedgwood in 1839 and over the next seventeen years the couple had ten children. It is often assumed that Darwin was an exceptional Victorian father. But how extraordinary was he? The Correspondence Project allows an unusually…
Matches: 3 hits
- … Charles Darwin married Emma Wedgwood in 1839 and over the next seventeen years the couple had ten …
- … were favourite family games, and in 1859 he ended a letter to his oldest son with the exclamation ‘I …
- … (Darwin to his son William, [30 October 1858] ). In one letter in 1856, he explained his paternal …
