From W. E. Darwin 18 June [1864]
Summary
Doesn't think will be able to find Buckthorn. Sends reference from Revue de Deux Mondes. Is settled at the Bank.
| Author: | William Erasmus Darwin |
| Addressee: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Date: | 18 June [1864] |
| Classmark: | Cornford Family Papers (DAR 275: 19) |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-4538F |
Matches: 4 hits
- … in May 1864 (see Correspondence vol. 12, letter from A. R. Wallace, 10 May 1864 and n. 5). …
- … stylar forms (see Correspondence vol. 12, letter from H. E. Darwin to W. E. Darwin, [18 …
- … 1864 (see Correspondence vol. 12, frontispiece and letter from W. E. Darwin, [19 May 1864] …
- … Supplement, letter from E. A. Darwin, Charles Darwin, and W. E. Darwin to Thomas Salt, 12 …
From William Erasmus Darwin [late February–May 1865]
Summary
[Outline sketches of pollen from short-styled yellow primrose and from long-styled yellow and red primroses.]
| Author: | William Erasmus Darwin |
| Addressee: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Date: | [late Feb–May 1865] |
| Classmark: | DAR 108: 89a |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-4729 |
From William Erasmus Darwin [7 May – 11 June 1866]
Summary
Sends flowers of buckthorn [Rhamnus catharticus] collected on Isle of Wight.
| Author: | William Erasmus Darwin |
| Addressee: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Date: | [7 May – 11 June 1866] |
| Classmark: | DAR 109: A76 |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-5108 |
From W. E. Darwin 8 May [1866]
Summary
Describes the floral structure of broom, particularly the form of the varying anthers. Encloses drawings of anthers and pollen.
| Author: | William Erasmus Darwin |
| Addressee: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Date: | 8 May [1866] |
| Classmark: | DAR 76: B52, 66–72 |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-3144 |
From W. E. Darwin [April–May 1865]
Summary
Sends camera outlines of pollen. Thinks the red longstyled ones are more sterile than the yellow.
| Author: | William Erasmus Darwin |
| Addressee: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Date: | [Apr–May 1865] |
| Classmark: | Cornford Family Papers (DAR 275: 20) |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-4506F |
From W. E. Darwin 6 May 1864
Summary
Diagrams of short- and long-styled Pulmonaria under magnification.
| Author: | William Erasmus Darwin |
| Addressee: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Date: | 6 May 1864 |
| Classmark: | DAR 110: A75–6 |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-4487F |
From W. E. Darwin 13 January [1881]
Summary
He is buying a portable fire engine, and suggests one is purchased for Down. Wishes to join the Geological Society of London. Is eager to hear Leslie Stephen’s opinion.
| Author: | William Erasmus Darwin |
| Addressee: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Date: | 13 Jan [1881] |
| Classmark: | Cornford Family Papers (DAR 275: 86) |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-13010F |
From W. E. Darwin 18 May [1864]
Summary
Sends Pulmonaria anthers, with measurements of styles and pollen counts.
| Author: | William Erasmus Darwin |
| Addressee: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Date: | 18 May [1864] |
| Classmark: | DAR 110: A83–6, A94 |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-4500 |
From W. E. Darwin [12 or 19 July 1877]
Summary
Discusses an experiment.
His dogs appear to have rabies.
| Author: | William Erasmus Darwin |
| Addressee: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Date: | [12 or 19] July 1877 |
| Classmark: | DAR 210.5: 14 |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-10743 |
From W. E. Darwin [16 January 1881]
Summary
Thanks CD for writing for papers to enter Geological Society. Will return Leslie Stephen’s letter. Has had a severe frost. Emma’s puppy died.
| Author: | William Erasmus Darwin |
| Addressee: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Date: | [16 Jan 1881] |
| Classmark: | Cornford Family Papers (DAR 275: 100) |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-13023F |
From W. E. Darwin 13 [December 1878]
Summary
Surprised and delighted by Mr Rich’s bequest as it will greatly increase his income. Intends to leave money to the Royal Society to contribute to science. Houses in London are a good investment even in times that are nervous for bankers.
| Author: | William Erasmus Darwin |
| Addressee: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Date: | 13 [Dec 1878] |
| Classmark: | Cornford Family Papers (DAR 275: 69) |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-11790F |
From W. E. Darwin 1 August 1862
Summary
WED has been collecting Lythrum plants. Numerical proportions of the three forms.
| Author: | William Erasmus Darwin |
| Addressee: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Date: | 1 Aug 1862 |
| Classmark: | DAR 162: 90 |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-3675 |
From W. E. Darwin [9 November 1879]
Summary
Sends CD petition from Olmstead and asks him to forward it around to get good signatures.
| Author: | William Erasmus Darwin |
| Addressee: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Date: | [9 Nov 1879] |
| Classmark: | Cornford Family Papers (DAR 275: 74), Gardner 1880, pp. 31–9 |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-12301F |
Matches: 3 hits
- … between this letter and the letter from Emma Darwin to M. C. Stanley, 12 November [1879] . …
- … Catherine Stanley . See letter from Emma Darwin to M. C. Stanley, 12 November [1879] . …
- … 12 November was 9 November. In October 1879, Frederick Law Olmsted prepared a memorial that called for the protection of Niagara Falls from commercial and industrial development. Together with Charles Eliot Norton (William’s father-in-law), he circulated the document to leading persons in the US, Canada, and Britain and eventually obtained over 600 signatures, including CD’s (see letter …
From W. E. Darwin 22 March [1864]
Summary
Sends drawings of the pollen from Chinese Primula plants with styles and pistils of different lengths; observations on sizes and condition of their pollen.
| Author: | William Erasmus Darwin |
| Addressee: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Date: | 22 Mar [1864] |
| Classmark: | DAR 108: 86–7, 175–7 |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-4434 |
From W. E. Darwin 23 July [1863]
Summary
Could not find Anchusa but will go out and find some.
| Author: | William Erasmus Darwin |
| Addressee: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Date: | 23 July [1863] |
| Classmark: | Cornford Family Papers (DAR 275: 18) |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-4251F |
From W. E. Darwin [20 May 1864]
Summary
Clarifies his letter of 18 May [4500].
| Author: | William Erasmus Darwin |
| Addressee: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Date: | [20 May 1864] |
| Classmark: | DAR 110: A82, A87–8 |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-4504 |
From W. E. Darwin [18 June 1866]
Summary
Sends some specimens of three kinds of buckthorn.
| Author: | William Erasmus Darwin |
| Addressee: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Date: | [18 June 1866] |
| Classmark: | DAR 109: A70 |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-5109 |
From W. E. Darwin [17 November 1861]
Summary
Describes in detail his day at home and at the bank in Southampton.
| Author: | William Erasmus Darwin |
| Addressee: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Date: | [17 Nov 1861] |
| Classmark: | DAR 210.5: 3 |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-3320 |
Matches: 2 hits
- … for William to James (see letters to W. E. Darwin, 12 October [1861] and [27 October …
- … letter to write to Lubbock’s to say that we have theirs, and to tell them whats what to do for us; then after that there is the Ledger to be culled over, that is to see if all the business done the day before, has been put down to each separate person concerned; by this time it gets to be about 11.30, or 12. …
From W. E. Darwin 9 January 1879
Summary
Sends figures on increase in value of North Western Railway stocks. Says consol stock considered much more secure for bankers. Does not think his own bank is in danger of a run. Is glad to see the Emperor of Prussia has confirmed CD’s appointment to Academy. Is snowing at Bassett.
| Author: | William Erasmus Darwin |
| Addressee: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Date: | 9 Jan 1879 |
| Classmark: | Cornford Family Papers (DAR 275: 70) |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-11823F |
From W. E. Darwin 14 July 1862
Summary
Sends observations on Valeriana officinalis.
| Author: | William Erasmus Darwin |
| Addressee: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Date: | 14 July 1862 |
| Classmark: | DAR 110 (ser. 2): 23, 41–2, 81–2 |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-3657 |
Lost in translation: From Auguste Forel, 12 November 1874
Summary
You receive a gift from your scientific hero Charles Darwin. It is a book that contains sections on your favourite topic—ants. If only you had paid attention when your mother tried to teach you English you might be able to read it. But you didn’t, and you…
Matches: 1 hits
- … You receive a gift from your scientific hero Charles Darwin. It is a book that contains sections …
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: 1 hits
- … The year 1874 was one of consolidation, reflection, and turmoil for Darwin. He spent the early …
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: 1 hits
- … There are summaries of all Darwin's letters from the year 1879 on this website. The full texts of …
Darwin’s hothouse and lists of hothouse plants
Summary
Darwin became increasingly involved in botanical experiments in the years after the publication of Origin. The building of a small hothouse - a heated greenhouse - early in 1863 greatly increased the range of plants that he could keep for scientific…
Matches: 1 hits
- … Towards the end of 1862, Darwin resolved to build a small hothouse at Down House, for …
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: 1 hits
- … < Back to Introduction Few likenesses of Darwin in his youth survive, although more …
Darwin in letters, 1862: A multiplicity of experiments
Summary
1862 was a particularly productive year for Darwin. This was not only the case in his published output (two botanical papers and a book on the pollination mechanisms of orchids), but more particularly in the extent and breadth of the botanical experiments…
Matches: 1 hits
- … As the sheer volume of his correspondence indicates, 1862 was a particularly productive year for …
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: 1 hits
- … Having laboured for nearly five years on human evolution, sexual selection, and the expression of …
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: 1 hits
- … In May 1881, Darwin, one of the best-known celebrities in England if not the world, began …
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: 1 hits
- … Observers | Fieldwork | Experimentation | Editors and critics | Assistants …
German and Dutch photograph albums
Summary
Darwin Day 2018: To celebrate Darwin's 209th birthday, we present two lavishly produced albums of portrait photographs which Darwin received from continental admirers 141 years ago. These unusual gifts from Germany and the Netherlands are made…
Matches: 1 hits
- … In 1877, Charles Darwin was sent some unusual birthday presents: two lavishly …
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: 1 hits
- … I am merely slaving over the sickening work of preparing new Editions …
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: 1 hits
- … I think we have proved that the sleep of plants is to lessen injury to leaves from radiation …
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: 1 hits
- … At the start of 1869, Darwin was hard at work making changes and additions for a fifth edition of …
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: 1 hits
- … At the start of 1863, Charles Darwin was actively working on the manuscript of The variation of …
The Lyell–Lubbock dispute
Summary
In May 1865 a dispute arose between John Lubbock and Charles Lyell when Lubbock, in his book Prehistoric times, accused Lyell of plagiarism. The dispute caused great dismay among many of their mutual scientific friends, some of whom took immediate action…
Matches: 1 hits
- … In May 1865 a dispute arose between John Lubbock and Charles Lyell when Lubbock, in his book …
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: 1 hits
- … ‘My career’, Darwin wrote towards the end of 1872, ‘is so nearly closed. . . What little more I …
Darwin in letters, 1882: Nothing too great or too small
Summary
In 1882, Darwin reached his 74th year Earthworms had been published the previous October, and for the first time in decades he was not working on another book. He remained active in botanical research, however. Building on his recent studies in plant…
Matches: 1 hits
- … In 1882, Darwin reached his 74th year Earthworms had been published the previous October, and …
Diagrams and drawings in letters
Summary
Over 850 illustrations from the printed volumes of The Correspondence of Charles Darwin have been added to the online transcripts of the letters. The contents include maps, diagrams, drawings, sketches and photographs, covering geological, botanical,…
Matches: 1 hits
- … Over 850 illustrations from the printed volumes of The Correspondence of Charles Darwin have …
Darwin in letters, 1847-1850: Microscopes and barnacles
Summary
Darwin's study of barnacles, begun in 1844, took him eight years to complete. The correspondence reveals how his interest in a species found during the Beagle voyage developed into an investigation of the comparative anatomy of other cirripedes and…
Matches: 1 hits
- … Species theory In November 1845, Charles Darwin wrote to his friend and confidant Joseph …
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: 1 hits
- … When Darwin resumed systematic research on emotions around 1866, he began to collect observations …
