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From E. Schweizerbart’sche Verlagsbuchhandlung1   22 March 1867

E. Schweizerbart, Commissions- und Verlagsbuchhandlung. Buchdruckerei Stuttgart

22 März 1867

Verehrtester Herr!

Ihr freundliches Schreiben vom 19en veranlasst mich sofort Ihnen Antwort zu geben.2 Empfangen Sie meinen aufrichtigen Dank für den neuen Beweis Ihrer Gewogenheit, die Sie für mich haben, indem Sie mir in uneigennützigster Weise die Aushänge Bogen Ihres grösseren Werkes, das Sie unter dem Titel: The variation of animals & Plants under Domestication” in diesem Augenblicke unter der Presse haben, Behufs einer deutschen Uebersetzung anbieten.3

Mit allem Vergnügen nehme ich diesen Antrag an und werde noch heute an Herrn Prof Carus4 schreiben, um ihn zu ersuchen, die deutsche Ausgabe davon zu besorgen; ich zweifle nicht daran, dass er sehr gerne diesem Auftrage sich unterziehen werde und wird er desshalb sich wohl selbst an Sie wenden.

Wegen der Holzschnitte werde ich mich demnächst an den Herrn Murray selbst wenden und möchte nur bitten dass Sie demselben gelegentlich sagen er möchte mir von den Holzschnitten zu Ihrem Werke gute Stereotypen machen lassen.5

Der Druck der neuen Auftrage von Origin deutsch, schreitet rasch vor und kann die erste Lieferung (12 Bog) in einigen Tagen verschickt werden, wenn das Ganze fertig, erhalten Sie nach Wunsch die Exemplare.6

Für die liebenswürdige Uebersendung Ihrer Porträte habe ich Ihnen auch noch meinen Dank zu sagen; ich war nicht wenig überrascht statt des mir bekannten jüngeren Bildes in der anziehenden form einen älteren Herrn mit grauem Barte zu erhalten.7

Ich sandte Herrn Carus eine hier gemachte Copie des grossen Bildes, worauf dieser mir schrieb, dass ihm das Kleinere das er von Ihnen erhalten (vermüthlich das mit der Stühllehne) fast besser gefalle, es ist das ganz Profil.

Es will uns scheinen dass das frühere Bild manchen besser zusagen würde; ich erlaube mir daher die Frage, ob Sie vielleicht Werth darauf legen, dass ein neueres Bild gegeben werde, woraus die mit Ihrem Aeusseren vorgegangene Veränderung ersichtlich ist; das jenige Bild, das Sie mir bezeichnen, werde ich geben, bitte daher nur es mir zu bestimmen.8

Mit gröster Hochachtung und Verehrung | Ihr ganz ergebenster | E Schweizerbart

CD annotations

Verso of last page: ‘Any Photographs | Murray— to make good stereotypes’ pencil

Footnotes

1
For a translation of this letter, see Correspondence vol. 15, Appendix I. It was written by Christian Friedrich Schweizerbart, the head of E. Schweizerbart’sche Verlagsbuchhandlung, who used the signature E. Schweizerbart in business communications.
5
John Murray, CD’s publisher, provided Schweizerbart with electrotypes of the illustrations for Variation; Murray’s ledger records a payment of £10 from Schweizerbart in September 1867 (John Murray Archive).
6
Carus had recently finished translating the fourth edition of Origin (Bronn and Carus trans. 1867; see letter to J. V. Carus, 17 February [1867]). No presentation list for Bronn and Carus trans. 1867 has been found. CD’s copy is in the Darwin Library–Down.
7
The image used in the first two German editions of Origin (Bronn trans. 1860 and Bronn trans. 1863) was a reproduction of a photograph taken around 1857 (DAR 225: 175; reproduced as the frontispiece to Correspondence vol. 8).
8
CD had sent Carus a photograph of himself with his letter of 10 November 1866 (Correspondence vol. 14). The photograph Carus received was one made by CD’s son William Erasmus Darwin in 1864, reproduced as the frontispiece to Correspondence vol. 12 (Carus photograph album, Smithsonian Institution Archives, Record Unit 7315). An engraving made from this photograph was used for the frontispiece to Bronn and Carus trans. 1867. CD may have sent Schweizerbart a later photograph, taken by Ernest Edwards in 1865 or 1866 (see Correspondence vol. 13, letter from E. A. Darwin to Emma Darwin, 25 [November 1865] and n. 3).

Bibliography

Correspondence: The correspondence of Charles Darwin. Edited by Frederick Burkhardt et al. 29 vols to date. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 1985–.

Origin: On the origin of species by means of natural selection, or the preservation of favoured races in the struggle for life. By Charles Darwin. London: John Murray. 1859.

Variation: The variation of animals and plants under domestication. By Charles Darwin. 2 vols. London: John Murray. 1868.

Translation

From E. Schweizerbart’sche Verlagsbuchhandlung1   22 March 1867

E. Schweizerbart, Commissions- und Verlagsbuchhandlung. Buchdruckerei Stuttgart

22 March 1867

Most honoured Sir!

Your friendly letter of the 19th prompts me to answer immediately.2 Please accept my sincere thanks for the new demonstration of your favour in most unselfishly offering me clean sheets of your larger work now in press, titled: The variation of animals & plants under domestication”, for translation into German.3

I am most pleased to accept your offer and I shall write to Prof. Carus4 today to ask him to deal with the German edition; I do not doubt that he will be happy to undertake this commission and therefore will contact you himself.

Concerning the woodcuts, I will contact Mr. Murray shortly myself and need only ask you to tell him, when the occasion arises, to kindly let me have good stereotypes of the woodcuts for your work.5

The printing of the new edition of the German Origin is progressing rapidly, and the first delivery (12 sheets) can be dispatched in a couple of days. When it is all ready you will receive copies as you wish.6

I must also thank you for kindly sending me your portraits. I was not a little surprised to receive instead of the familiar fine figure of the earlier picture, that of a more elderly gentleman with grey beard.7

I sent Herr Carus a copy of the large picture, made here, whereupon he wrote to me that the smaller one that he received from you (presumably the one with the chair-back) seems rather better to him, it is the full profile.

It strikes us that the earlier picture may appeal more to some; so I take the liberty of asking whether it perhaps matters to you that a newer picture is used in which the change in your appearance is evident. I will use the picture you indicate to me, please just let me know your decision.8

With the highest esteem and admiration | your most devoted | E Schweizerbart

Footnotes

1
For a transcription of this letter in its original German, see pp. 157–8. It was written by Christian Friedrich Schweizerbart, the head fo E. Schweizerbart’sche Verlagsbuchhandlung, who used the signature E. Schweizertbart in business communications.
5
John Murray, CD’s publisher, provided Schweizerbart with electrotypes of the illustrations for Variation; Murray’s ledger records a payment of £10 from Schweizerbart in September 1867 (John Murray Archive).
6
Carus had recently finished translating the fourth edition of Origin (Bronn and Carus trans. 1867; see letter to J. V. Carus, 17 February [1867]). No presentation list for Bronn and Carus trans. 1867 has been found. CD’s copy is in the Darwin Library–Down.
7
The image used in the first two German editions of Origin (Bronn trans. 1860 and Bronn trans. 1863) was a reproduction of a photograph taken around 1857 (DAR 225: 175; reproduced as the frontispiece to Correspondence vol. 8).
8
CD had sent Carus a photograph of himself with his letter of 10 November 1866 (Correspondence vol. 14). The photograph Carus received was one made by CD’s son William Erasmus Darwin in 1864, reproduced as the frontispiece to Correspondence vol. 12 (Carus photograph album, Smithsonian Institution Archives, Record Unit 7315). An engraving made from this photograph was used for the frontispiece to Bronn and Carus trans. 1867. CD may have sent Schweizerbart a later photograph, taken by Ernest Edwards in 1865 or 1866 (see Correspondence vol. 13, letter from E. A. Darwin to Emma Darwin, 25 [November 1865] and n. 3).

Bibliography

Correspondence: The correspondence of Charles Darwin. Edited by Frederick Burkhardt et al. 29 vols to date. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 1985–.

Origin: On the origin of species by means of natural selection, or the preservation of favoured races in the struggle for life. By Charles Darwin. London: John Murray. 1859.

Variation: The variation of animals and plants under domestication. By Charles Darwin. 2 vols. London: John Murray. 1868.

Summary

Agrees to publish German edition of Variation.

Discusses publication of third German ed. of Origin.

Thanks CD for portrait.

Letter details

Letter no.
DCP-LETT-5454
From
E. Schweizerbart’sche Verlagsbuchhandlung
To
Charles Robert Darwin
Sent from
Stuttgart
Source of text
DAR 177: 75
Physical description
ALS 3pp (German) †

Please cite as

Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 5454,” accessed on 20 April 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-5454.xml

Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 15

letter

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