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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: 19 hits
- … In May 1881, Darwin, one of the best-known celebrities in England if not the world, …
- … in Unconscious memory in November 1880 and in an abusive letter about Darwin in the St James’s …
- … memory in Kosmos and sent Darwin a separate letter for publication in the Journal of Popular …
- … was another source of pleasure in the early months of 1881. This book had been a major undertaking …
- … publishers decided to print ‘500 more, making 2000’ ( letter to H. E. Litchfield, 4 January 1881 ) …
- … case is to me’ (letters to W. E. Darwin, 31 January [1881] and 19 February [1881] ). On 7 …
- … the animal learnt from its own individual experience ( letter from G. J. Romanes, 7 March 1881 ). …
- … whether observations of their behaviour were trustworthy ( letter to Francis Galton, 8 March [1881] …
- … eager to send his draft to the printers without delay, asked John Murray, his publisher, to make an …
- … about the sale of books being ‘a game of chance’ ( letter to R. F. Cooke, 12 April 1881 ). On 18 …
- … laboratory. The Lake District may have reminded Darwin of John Ruskin, who lived there. Sending the …
- … for more suggestions of such plants, especially annuals ( letter to W. T. Thiselton-Dyer, 21 March …
- … supposed he would feel ‘less sulky in a day or two’ ( letter to R. F. Cooke, 29 July 1881 ). The …
- … dead a work falls at this late period of the season’ ( letter from R. F. Cooke, 30 July 1881 ). …
- … conversation with you’, a Swedish teacher told him ( letter from C. E. Södling, 14 October 1881 ), …
- … ). His scientific friends, however, did not agree. Both John Lubbock and Hooker asked for Darwin’s …
- … about the year 1840(?) on all our minds’ ( letter to John Lubbock, [18 September 1881] ). When …
- … on 27 May . Romanes assured Darwin that the artist, John Collier, Huxley’s son-in-law, was ‘such a …
- … Darwin told his old Cambridge University friend John Price on 27 December . As Darwin rejoiced in …
John Murray
Summary
Darwin's most famous book On the origin of species by means of natural selection (Origin) was published on 22 November 1859. The publisher was John Murray, who specialised in non-fiction, particularly politics, travel and science, and had published…
Matches: 15 hits
- … was published on 22 November 1859. The publisher was John Murray, who specialised in non-fiction, …
- … series of guides and also published travel books. Successive John Murrays ran the publishing house; …
- … University Library a similar number of letters from John Murray and Robert Cooke, his cousin and …
- … end of 1845, Darwin was not happy with Colburn’s terms ( Letter 856 ). Instead he asked his friend …
- … had proved to be a scientific best-seller for the second John Murray, to open negotiations with his …
- … have transacted the business with me’ (27 August [1845] Letter 908 ). Thus began the business …
- … Navy: and adapted for travellers in general edited by John Herschel, but there was an error at …
- … copies some pages in Darwin’s chapter were transposed ( Letter 1244 ). Darwin was anxious lest an …
- … & make the poor workman some present’ (12 June [1849] Letter 1245 ). Darwin’s next …
- … his ‘big species book’; on 18 June 1858, he received a letter from Alfred Russel Wallace with the …
- … asked Lyell to act as his intermediary with John Murray ( Letter 2437 ), who, without even reading …
- … Origin ( Letter 2577 ); by the time Darwin died in 1881 the book was in its sixth edition, and …
- … an extra 500 to meet demand ( Letter 12862 ). In 1881 Darwin sent Murray the manuscript of …
- … sale of my book and utterly astonished’ ([after 25 October 1881?] Letter 13433 ). …
- … his publisher, after Murray’s annual sale in the autumn of 1881, Darwin expressed his satisfaction …
Volume 29 (1881) is published!
Summary
In October 1881, Darwin published his last book, The formation of vegetable mould through the action of worms: with observations on their habits. A slim volume on a subject that many people could understand and on which they had their own opinions, it went…
Matches: 10 hits
- … From the start of 1881, Darwin had his demise on his mind. He increasingly relied on his son …
- … now available. Read more about Darwin's life in 1881 in our Life in letters series …
- … the enthusiasm with which the book has been received. Letter t o Francis Darwin, 9 November …
- … in my life as for its success. Letter to A. B. Buckley, 4 January 1881 …
- … & I have no little jobs which I can do. Letter to J. D. Hooker, 15 June 1881 …
- … Letter to W. E. Darwin, 4 August [1881] In …
- … & ungracious dog not to agree’. The portrait was made by John Collier, Thomas Henry Huxley’s son …
- … seemed to me admirable. Letter to T. H. Farrer, 28 August 1881 …
- … churchyard. In December, Darwin was reading Katherine Murray Lyell’s edition of the life, …
- … Letter t o B. J. Sulivan, 1 December 1881 …
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: 24 hits
- … ‘I feel a very old man, & my course is nearly run’ ( letter to Lawson Tait, 13 February 1882 ) …
- … in Down, where his brother Erasmus had been interred in 1881. But some of his scientific friends …
- … fertility of crosses between differently styled plants ( letter from Fritz Müller, 1 January 1882 …
- … In January, Darwin corresponded with George John Romanes about new varieties of sugar cane produced …
- … François Marie Glaziou (see Correspondence vol. 28, letter from Arthur de Souza Corrêa, 20 …
- … quite untirable & I am glad to shirk any extra labour’ ( letter to G. J. Romanes, 6 January …
- … probably intending to test its effects on chlorophyll ( letter to Joseph Fayrer, 30 March 1882 ). …
- … we know about the life of any one plant or animal!’ ( letter to Henry Groves, 3 April 1882 ). He …
- … of seeing the flowers & experimentising on them’ ( letter to J. E. Todd, 10 April 1882 ). …
- … last book, Earthworms , had been published in October 1881. It proved to be very popular, with …
- … Quarterly Review , owned by Darwin’s publisher John Murray, carried an anonymous article on the …
- … 1882, p. 179). Darwin commented at length on the review to Murray. He was pleased by ‘the few first …
- … or later write differently about evolution’ ( letter to John Murray, 21 January 1882 ). The author …
- … vol. 29, letter from J. F. Simpson, 8 November 1881 ). He remarked on the ‘far reaching …
- … Correspondence vol. 29, letter to Emily Talbot, 19 July 1881 ) was also published in the …
- … American, Caroline Kennard, had written on 26 December 1881 (see Correspondence vol. 29) to …
- … Darwin had a less heated discussion with the painter John Collier on the topic of science and art. …
- … himself to so dreadful a man, as Huxley’ ( letter to John Collier, 16 February 1882 ). Collier had …
- … be the same without my consciousness?’ ( letter from John Collier, 22 February 1882 ; T. H. Huxley …
- … discoverer of tidal evolution’ ( Nature , 24 November 1881, p. 81). Darwin boasted to Rich: …
- … and admirers. One of the most touching was from John Lubbock, whose interest in natural history at …
- … we adjourned as a small tribute of respect’ (letter from John Lubbock to Francis Darwin, 20 April …
- … pigeon breeder: ‘Skins are on their road to me sent by Mr. Murray from Persia, & I hope to get …
- … ). Darwin’s former mentor at University of Cambridge, John Stevens Henslow, was not a …
Women as a scientific audience
Summary
Target audience? | Female readership | Reading Variation Darwin's letters, in particular those exchanged with his editors and publisher, reveal a lot about his intended audience. Regardless of whether or not women were deliberately targeted as a…
Matches: 23 hits
- … Were women a target audience? Letter 2447 - Darwin to Murray, J., [5 April 1859] …
- … chapters of Origin of Species to his publisher, John Murray. He hopes that his views are …
- … her to read to check that she can understand it. Letter 7312 - Darwin to Darwin, F. …
- … from all but educated, typically-male readers. Letter 7124 - Darwin to Darwin, H. E …
- … he seeks her help with tone and style. Letter 7329 - Murray , J. to Darwin, [28 …
- … in order to minimise impeding general perusal. Letter 7331 - Darwin to Murray, …
- … he uses to avoid ownership of indelicate content. Letter 8335 - Reade, W. W. to …
- … so as not to lose the interest of women. Letter 8341 - Reade, W. W. to Darwin, …
- … which will make it more appealing to women. Letter 8611 - Cupples, A. J. to …
- … Darwin’s female readership Letter 5391 - Becker, L. E. to Darwin, [6 February …
- … of the Manchester Ladies Literary Society . Letter 6551 - Becker, L. E . to …
- … the chapter on pangenesis, which is a revelation. Letter 6976 - Darwin to Blackwell, A. …
- … Darwin assumes that 'A. B. Blackwell' is a man. Letter 7177 - Cupples, G. to …
- … him to the psychology of Herbert Spencer. Letter 7624 - Bathoe, M . B. to Darwin …
- … his statements on a lack of reasoning in animals. Letter 7644 - Barnard, A. to …
- … during a visit to an asylum with her father. Letter 7651 - Wedgwood, F. J. to …
- … on any comments that she feels might be suitable. Letter 7411 - Pfeiffer, E. J. to …
- … and beauty in the process of sexual selection. Letter 8055 - Hennell, S. S. to Darwin, …
- … of a woman’s natural thinking”. Letter 8778 - Forster, L. M . to Darwin, H. …
- … and the showing of teeth in Expression . Letter 10072 - Pape, C. to …
- … and hopes Darwin will complete her questionnaire. Letter 10390 - Herrick, S. M. B. …
- … 13547 - Tanner, M. H. to Darwin, [12 December 1881] Mary Tanner tells Darwin that …
- … - Innes, J. B. to Darwin, [31 August 1868] John Innes reports that he has read …
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: 27 hits
- … be done by observation during prolonged intervals’ ( letter to D. T. Gardner, [ c . 27 August …
- … pleasures of shooting and collecting beetles ( letter from W. D. Fox, 8 May [1874] ). Such …
- … And … one looks backwards much more than forwards’ ( letter to W. D. Fox, 11 May [1874] ). …
- … was an illusory hope.— I feel very old & helpless’ ( letter to B. J. Sulivan, 6 January [1874] …
- … inferred that he was well from his silence on the matter ( letter from Ernst Haeckel, 26 October …
- … in such rubbish’, he confided to Joseph Dalton Hooker ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 18 January [1874] …
- … that Mr Williams was ‘a cheat and an imposter’ ( letter from T. H. Huxley, 27 January 1874 ). …
- … his, ‘& that he was thus free to perform his antics’ ( letter to T. H. Huxley, 29 January [1874 …
- … Darwin had allowed ‘a spirit séance’ at his home ( letter from T. G. Appleton, 2 April 1874 ). …
- … edition, published in 1842 ( Correspondence vol. 21, letter to Smith, Elder & Co., 17 …
- … had been in two volumes and had cost twenty-four shillings.) Murray’s partner, Robert Francis Cooke, …
- … Quarterly Review discussing works on primitive man by John Lubbock and Edward Burnett Tylor. It …
- … of anonymous reviews. Its proprietor was none other than John Murray, Darwin’s publisher. So …
- … wording of both the letter to the editor and the letter to Murray to accompany it. The depth of …
- … a new publisher’ and advised that Darwin should not push Murray to the point of cutting off …
- … [6 or 7 August 1874] ). When the letter was finally sent to Murray, Darwin referred only to their …
- … ‘asking a favour ‘. He explained why he had written to Murray and not the editor of the Quarterly …
- … to review me in a hostile spirit’ ( letter to John Murray, 11 August 1874 ). Darwin was …
- … St G. J. Mivart, 11 January [1872] ). To Darwin’s relief, Murray replied immediately: ‘I have lost …
- … number of the Review & in the same type’ ( letter from John Murray, 12 August 1874 ). George …
- … anonymous reviews. While staying with Hooker over Christmas, John Tyndall, professor at and …
- … as ‘the natural outflow of his character’ ( letter from John Tyndall, 28 December 1874 ). …
- … failure of observations in New Zealand (see G. B. Airy ed. 1881). Darwin’s third son Francis …
- … to purchase the wooded land, which he had been renting from John Lubbock, led to a straining of …
- … the sale was agreed in April for £300 ( letter from John Lubbock, 2 April 1874 ), a high price …
- … for about a week ( letter from E. E. Klein, 14 May 1874 ). John Burdon Sanderson sent the results …
- … of other insect-eating plants. The surgeon and botanist John Ralfs sent Utricularia from …
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
- … on 24 February, and all 2500 copies were sold in a week. ‘Murray says he is “torn to pieces” by …
- … on 28 February . Demand continued throughout the year, and Murray produced three more printings, …
- … do to talk about it, which no doubt promotes the sale’ ( letter from J. D. Hooker, 26 March 1871 ) …
- … £1470 for the first two printings, Darwin wrote to Murray on 20 March 1871 , ‘It is quite a grand …
- … to her liking, ‘to keep in memory of the book’ ( letter to H. E. Darwin, 20 March 1871 ). …
- … and had forsaken his lunch and dinner in order to read it ( letter from James Crichton-Browne, 19 …
- … they believe to be the truth, whether pleasant or not’ (letter from W. W. Reade, 21 February 1871). …
- … and Oldham … They club together to buy them’ ( letter from W. B. Dawkins, 23 February 1871 ). …
- … one’s n th . ancestor lived between tide-marks!’ ( letter from T. H. Huxley, 20 February 1871 ). …
- … habits, furnished with a tail and pointed ears” (letter from Asa Gray, 14 April 1871) …
- … ‘will-power’ and the heavy use of their arms and legs ( letter from C. L. Bernays, 25 February 1871 …
- … in order to make it darker than the hair on his head ( letter from W. B. Tegetmeier, [before 25 …
- … together with an image of an orang-utan foetus ( letter from Hinrich Nitsche, 18 April 1871 ). …
- … of himself, adding that it made a ‘very poor return’ ( letter to Hinrich Nitsche, 25 April [1871] …
- … each night, returning to its allotted space each morning ( letter from Arthur Nicols, 7 March 1871 …
- … without having a high aesthetic appreciation of beauty ( letter from E. J. Pfeiffer, [before 26 …
- … endowment of spiritual life’ at some time in the past ( letter from Roland Trimen, 17 and 18 April …
- … expressed by Darwin’s old friend, the former vicar of Down John Brodie Innes. Darwin and Innes had …
- … to the white’. Darwin thanked Innes for his ‘pleasant letter’, but asserted his antipathy to human …
- … myself a good way ahead of you, as far as this goes’ ( letter to J. B. Innes, 29 May [1871] ). …
- … ‘a windbag full of metaphysics & classics’ ( letter to John Murray, 13 April [1871] ). …
- … Gazette , and wrote to its author, who turned out to be John Morley, a leading advocate of …
- … and transmitted by culture, not biology ( letter from John Morley, 30 March 1871 ). …
- … by his wife and children. William offered his assessment of John Stuart Mill’s theory of …
- … he suspected that very few would actually sell (letters to John Murray, 17 August [1871] and …
- … Wallace, 4 August [1871] ). On 23 September he informed Murray that owing to poor health he had …
- … years following the publication of Origin of species . Murray convinced him to appear in Vanity …
1.18 John Collier, oil in Linnean
Summary
< Back to Introduction By 1881 it was clear to Darwin’s intimates that he was increasingly frail, and that, as he approached death, he had finally escaped from religious controversy to become a heroic figure, loved and venerated for his achievements…
Matches: 12 hits
- … < Back to Introduction By 1881 it was clear to Darwin’s intimates that he was …
- … Society in 1858. Moreover, the Society was now, in May 1881, dominated by Darwinians. Its President …
- … if, as you say, he would like to paint me’. The Hon. John Collier’s marriage to Huxley’s daughter …
- … work and any other subject that cropped up.’ On 7 August 1881 Darwin was able to report to Romanes …
- … newly published Primer on Art , and received a pleasant letter of thanks. Darwin assured Collier …
- … holder Linnean Society originator of image John Collier date of creation …
- … . Linnean Society archive, manuscript letter LL/8, Darwin to Romanes, 27 May 1881. Correspondence …
- … of Mr. Darwin’, Daily Telegraph (21 April 1882), p. 5. John Collier, A Primer of Art (London …
- … The Life and Letters of Charles Darwin , 3 vols (London: John Murray, 1887), vol. 3, pp. 222–3, 371 …
- … 14–18, 35. Walter Herries Pollock, ‘The art of the Hon. John Collier’, Art Annual 1914. John …
- … artist on celebrities he has painted’, interview with John Collier in The Singapore Free Press and …
- … Companion (New Jersey: World Scientific, 2021), entry for John Collier, p. 56, and ‘Iconography’, …
The full edition is now online!
Summary
For nearly fifty years successive teams of researchers on both sides of the Atlantic have been working to track down all surviving letters written by or to Charles Darwin, research their content, and publish the complete texts. The thirtieth and final…
Matches: 6 hits
- … life, will be published in early 2023 and all the letter texts – more than 15000 between 1822 and …
- … ‘ My course is nearly run. ’ Letter to Lawson Tait, 13 February 1882 In …
- … convinced of the truth of Evolution as I am. ’ Letter to John Murray, 21 January 1882 …
- … than for 3 weeks & have had as yet no pain. ’ Letter to T. H. Huxley, 27 March 1882 …
- … all that with my children it is worth having .’ Letter from Emma Darwin to J. D. Hooker, …
- … greatest friend outside the family, on 20 April: this letter concludes the correspondence for 1882. …
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: 23 hits
- … In May 1865 a dispute arose between John Lubbock and Charles Lyell when Lubbock, in his book …
- … he visited sites in both France and Germany (K. M. Lyell ed. 1881, 2: 336). In April 1860, Lubbock …
- … species such as the mammoth ( Correspondence vol. 8, letter to Charles Lyell, 4 May [1860] and n. …
- … also added the following note on page 11: *Mr. John Lubbock published, after these sheets …
- … Galton. In February 1863, Lubbock received a letter from Lyell, evidently in response …
- … about Lyell’s failure to support him. In April 1863, in a letter to the Athenæum , he discussed a …
- … transmutation; he also wrote to Lyell telling him about the letter to the Athenæum . 9 …
- … 1863b, p. 213). In May 1864, Lubbock received a letter from Falconer, who reiterated his …
- … and went on to say that he intended to make a copy of his letter to show to friends. 18 In …
- … wrote to Henrietta Emma Darwin, ‘whereas after talking to John, he thought him not wrong, after …
- … wrote to Darwin to ask what he thought of the affair ( letter from J. D. Hooker, [2 June 1865] ). …
- … he reiterated his admiration for Lubbock’s book ( letter to J. D. Hooker, [4 June 1865] ). A week …
- … on page 11, C. Lyell 1863c (original version) *Mr. John Lubbock published, after these sheets …
- … on page 11, C. Lyell 1863c (revised version) *Mr. John Lubbock published, in the October …
- … Van Riper 1993. 2. Letter from Charles Lyell to John Lubbock, 20 February 1863 (British …
- … 1863b, p. 214). 12. Letter from Hugh Falconer to John Lubbock, 24 May [1864], in (British …
- … written for me by a mutual friend of ours’ (letter from John Lubbock to J. D. Hooker, 23 June 1865, …
- … March 1865, in BL MSS ADD 49641. 16. Letter from John Lubbock to Charles Lyell, 13 March …
- … of the origin of species by variation . London: John Murray. Lyell, Charles. 1863b. The …
- … species by variation. 2d edition, revised. London: John Murray. Lyell, Charles. 1863c. …
- … of species by variation . 3d edition, revised. London: John Murray. Lyell, Charles. 1864. …
- … geological monuments . 6th edition, revised. London: John Murray. Lyell, Katharine Murray, …
- … in the struggle for life . By Charles Darwin. London: John Murray. 1859. Owen, Richard. 1863 …
Earthworms
Summary
As with many of Darwin’s research topics, his interest in worms spanned nearly his entire working life. Some of his earliest correspondence about earthworms was written and received in the 1830s, shortly after his return from his Beagle voyage, and his…
Matches: 8 hits
- … Geological Society (Ser. 2) 5:505-509. Darwin, C.R. 1881. The Formation of Vegetable Mould, …
- … by Emma’s sister at the behest of her father Josiah, this letter conveys the details of when and how …
- … In his reply of two days later, Darwin wrote, “Your letter & facts are quite splendid.—I cannot …
- … request, and his gratitude for her observations. Letter 12745 - Darwin to Sophy …
- … such a case as grass roots, weeds, in a gravel path.” [ Letter 12760 , 15 October 1880] …
- … QUESTIONS 1. What do you think of Darwin's letter to John Murray? What does Darwin …
- … this experiment? Can you relate your own observations to the letter selections for this module? …
- … [1] Charles Darwin, Vegetable Mould and Earth-Worms (London: John Murray, 1881), 26. …
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: 24 hits
- … in zoology. New studies of animal instincts by George John Romanes drew upon Darwin’s early …
- … my grandfather’s character is of much value to me’ ( letter to C. H. Tindal, 5 January 1880 ). …
- … have influenced the whole Kingdom, & even the world’ ( letter from J. L. Chester, 3 March 1880 …
- … delighted to find an ordinary mortal who could laugh’ ( letter from W. E. Darwin to Charles and …
- … much powder & shot’ ( Correspondence vol. 27, letter from Ernst Krause, 7 June 1879 , and …
- … modified; but now I much regret that I did not do so’ ( letter to Samuel Butler, 3 January 1880 ). …
- … and ‘decided on laying the matter before the public’ ( letter from Samuel Butler, 21 January 1880 …
- … and uncertain about what to do. He drafted two versions of a letter to the Athen æum , sending …
- … in which he will have the last word’, she warned ( letter from H. E. Litchfield, [1 February 1880] …
- … who will fight to the end’, added her husband Richard ( letter from R. B. Litchfield, 1 February …
- … him & given him Darwinophobia? It is a horrid disease’ ( letter from T. H. Huxley, 3 February …
- … squashing the ‘mosquito inflated to an elephant’ ( letter from Ernst Krause, 9 December 1880 ). …
- … from scientific debate. The matter spilled over into January 1881. With Henrietta’s aid, the advice …
- … inches of soil as a protection against enemies.’ ‘Your letter … made me open my eyes’, Gray replied …
- … his original description. Darwin was puzzled: ‘If my letter opened your eyes, yours has opened mine …
- … to the same species, should behave so differently.’ ( Letter to Asa Gray, 17 February 1880 .) But …
- … of the plant in its native habitat. He forwarded a letter from a botanist and schoolteacher in …
- … shake their heads in the same dismal manner as you & M r . Murray did, when I told them my …
- … ‘Where is the profit for Author or publisher?’ ( letter from R. F. Cooke, 20 July 1880 ). ‘I must …
- … money by science, I must now lose some for science’ ( letter to R. F. Cooke, 21 July 1880 ). The …
- … bags ( letter from G. J. Romanes, [6, 13, or 20] March 1881 ). Romanes was at work on a lengthy …
- … of Epping Forest’. In October, Darwin had discussions with John Lubbock and Huxley and was …
- … memorial was eventually submitted to Gladstone in January 1881 and was successful. For a copy of the …
- … the year’s end, a Christmas card from another old friend, John Maurice Herbert, inspired happy …
Movement in Plants
Summary
The power of movement in plants, published on 7 November 1880, was the final large botanical work that Darwin wrote. It was the only work in which the assistance of one of his children, Francis Darwin, is mentioned on the title page. The research for this…
Matches: 23 hits
- … had considered combining the works in a single volume ( letter to J. V. Carus, 7 February 1875 ). …
- … , a plant that exhibited all three types of movement ( letter from R. I. Lynch, [before 28 July …
- … of a klinostat. Journal of the Linnean Society. Botany . 1881. Vol. XVIII, p. 450. …
- … the woodblock using photography for scientific accuracy ( letter from J. D. Cooper, 13 December …
- … lost colour, withered, and died within a couple of days ( letter from A. F. Batalin, 28 February …
- … how their observations could have been so much at odds ( letter to Hugo de Vries 13 February 1879 …
- … the botanist Gaetano Durando, to find plants and seeds ( letter to Francis Darwin, [4 February – 8 …
- … only the regulator & not cause of movement ’. In the same letter, Darwin discussed terminology, …
- … to replace Frank’s ‘Transversal-Heliotropismus’ ( letter from W. E. Darwin, 10 February [1880] ). …
- … experiments and devised a new test, which he described in a letter to his mother, ‘ I did some …
- … and it appeared in 1880 (F. Darwin 1880b). In the same letter, Francis revealed the frustration of …
- … and would later spend three months there from May 1881. While on holiday in the Lake District …
- … described as ‘little discs’ and ‘greenish bodies’ ( letter to W. T. Thiselton-Dyer, 29 October 1879 …
- … of cotton that he had not been able to observe earlier ( letter to W. T. Thiselton-Dyer, 20 …
- … might have been too weak to lift the weight of the seed ( letter from Asa Gray, 3 February 1880 ). …
- … germination occurred, the plant would be killed by frost ( letter from Asa Gray, 4 April 1880 ). …
- … Movements of Plants’, he told Robert Cooke of John Murray publishers, before suggesting ‘The …
- … about the number of copies they should print ( letter to John Murray, 10 July 1880 ). Moreover, …
- … good deal more’ than any of Darwin’s previous works, Murray was willing to publish on the usual …
- … as soon as stereotypes of the text were available from Murray ( letter from D. Appleton & Co., …
- … publication will not cost me quite so much as I expected. Murray has sold 800 copies. The Times …
- … to his son George, ‘ Hurrah for the old bloody Times, Murray says 500 copies urgently required ’. …
- … a book-length critique of Darwin’s work (Wiesner 1881). Francis would later respond to Wiesner’s …
Darwin's bad days
Summary
Despite being a prolific worker who had many successes with his scientific theorising and experimenting, even Darwin had some bad days. These times when nothing appeared to be going right are well illustrated by the following quotations from his letters:
Matches: 1 hits
- … Despite being a prolific worker who had many successes with his scientific theorising and …
3.20 Elliott and Fry, c.1880-1, verandah
Summary
< Back to Introduction In photographs of Darwin taken c.1880-1, the expression of energetic thought conveyed by photographs of earlier years gives way to the pathos of evident physical frailty. While Collier’s oil portrait of this time emphasises…
Matches: 6 hits
- … and Letters of his father (1887), and there it was dated 1881. However, another photograph from …
- … by the National Portrait Gallery (NPG X5938) to 29 November 1881. However, Janet Browne points out …
- … recollected his father’s air of sadness at that time. In a letter to Hooker of 15 June 1881, echoed …
- … of Elliott and Fry date of creation c.1880-1881 computer-readable date c …
- … and bibliography letters from Darwin to Hooker, 15 June 1881 (DCP-LETT-13207) and to B.J. Sulivan, …
- … The Life and Letters of Charles Darwin , 3 vols (London: John Murray, 1887), vol. 3, frontispiece …
Darwin and the Church
Summary
The story of Charles Darwin’s involvement with the church is one that is told far too rarely. It shows another side of the man who is more often remembered for his personal struggles with faith, or for his role in large-scale controversies over the…
Matches: 22 hits
- … scientific interests. Indeed, Darwin’s Cambridge mentor, John Stevens Henslow, and his friend and …
- … & I can see it even through a grove of Palms.—’ (letter to Caroline Darwin, 25–6 April [1832] …
- … wrote to the contrary: ‘I am sorry to see in your last letter that you still look forward to the …
- … near the British Museum or some other learned place’ (letter from E. A. Darwin, 18 August [1832] …
- … it is a sort of scene I never ought to think about—’ (letter to W. D. Fox, [9–12 August] 1835 ). …
- … the work of Non-conformist preachers in the village. John Brodie Innes Many of the …
- … However, what remains is cordial; in the first extant letter of the correspondence, Darwin wrote to …
- … (a local charity), which he administered from 1848 to 1869 (letter to J. B. Innes, [8 May 1848] …
- … he would make an excellent Guardian [of the Poor Fund]’ (letter to J. W. Lubbock, 28 March [1854] …
- … club the use of his own lawn for its meetings (Moore 1985; letter to J. S. Henslow, 17 January …
- … the family’s dog, Quiz, when he moved away from Down (letter to J. B. Innes, 15 December [1861] ) …
- … was considered to be a cross between a cow and a red deer (letter from J. B. Innes, 7 December …
- … ancestor. Please think of my request favourably—’ (letter from J. B. Innes, 26 May 1871 ). Indeed …
- … and leaves Moses to take care of himself. Letter from J. B. Innes, 1 December 1878 …
- … take care of the financial complications he left behind (letter from S. J. O’H. Horsman, 2 June …
- … seemed to have made off with the church’s organ fund (letter to J. B. Innes, 15 June [1868] ). So …
- … by Horsman relating to the Down school and organ funds (letter to J. B. Innes, 13 January 1871 ). …
- … Dissenters’ chapel, rather than the Down parish church (letter to J. B. Innes, 1 December 1868 ). …
- … to such strained relations that Darwin’s neighbour, John Lubbock, was forced to send a series of …
- … supported Fegan’s work in the village, writing in 1880 or 1881: ‘your services have done more for …
- … (letter to J. W. C. Fegan, [December 1880 – February 1881] ). Indeed, the Darwin family even …
- … chapter . Edited by Francis Darwin. 3 vols. London: John Murray. 1887–8. Moore, James. 1985. …
Dipsacus and Drosera: Frank’s favourite carnivores
Summary
In Autumn of 1875, Francis Darwin was busy researching aggregation in the tentacles of Drosera rotundifolia (F. Darwin 1876). This phenomenon occurs when coloured particles within either protoplasm or the fluid in the cell vacuole (the cell sap) cluster…
Matches: 7 hits
- … By John Schaefer, Harvard University* Charles Darwin’s enthusiasm for …
- … described the protoplasmic masses and movements to George John Romanes, FRS. In late June Darwin …
- … ‘ I can declare that I have hardly ever received [a letter] in my life which has given me more …
- … Darwin’s request, Cohn agreed to allow an excerpt of his letter to be published in Nature , …
- … August 1877, p. 339). Although, as Darwin pointed out in a letter to G.J. Romanes, Cohn was hesitant …
- … again, for I am sure that it is worth it.’ As late as 1881, less than a year before his death, …
- … plants . 2d ed. Revised by Francis Darwin. London: John Murray. Darwin, F. 1876. The Process …
Animals, ethics, and the progress of science
Summary
Darwin’s view on the kinship between humans and animals had important ethical implications. In Descent, he argued that some animals exhibited moral behaviour and had evolved mental powers analogous to conscience. He gave examples of cooperation, even…
Matches: 16 hits
- … by the prospect of animals suffering for science. In a letter to E. Ray Lankester, he wrote: ‘You …
- … another word about it, else I shall not sleep to-night’ ( letter to E. R. Lankester, 22 March [1871 …
- … pangenesis. Darwin was taken aback, and swiftly replied in a letter to Nature , insisting that he …
- … deserved credit for his ‘ingenuity and perseverance’ ( letter to Nature , [before 27 April 1871] …
- … for further cross-circulation and ‘Siamesing’ ( letter from Francis Galton, 13 September 1871 ). …
- … was sought in another set of experiments by George John Romanes. This time the creatures were plants …
- … Some of the results were promising, but inconclusive (see letter from G. J. Romanes, 14 July 1875 …
- … results will be necessary to convince physiologists’ ( letter to G. J. Romanes, 18 July 1875 ). …
- … for your work; & I suppose birds can be chloroformed (letter to G. J. Romanes, 27 December …
- … into close contact with England’s leading physiologists, John Scott Burdon Sanderson, Thomas Lauder …
- … branded physiologists as ‘demons let loose from hell’ ( letter to F. B. Cobbe, [14 January 1875] ) …
- … detail here . He stated his position most frankly in a letter to Henrietta, 4 January [1875] . …
- … point of view I have rejoiced at the present agitation. ( letter to H. E. Litchfield, 4 January …
- … science of Physiology as doomed to death in this country. ( letter To T. H. Huxley, 14 January 1875 …
- … are now in the position of a persecuted religious sect’ ( letter to G. J. Romanes, 4 June [1876] ) …
- … of the utility of experiment amongst people in general’ ( letter from T. L. Brunton, 12 February …
4.1 Albert Way, comic drawings
Summary
< Back to Introduction The earliest identifiable comic drawings of Darwin are these pen sketches by his Cambridge undergraduate friend Albert Way of Trinity College, which must date from c. 1828-30. They refer to his passion for beetle-collecting – a…
Matches: 3 hits
- … companions on field trips by his infectious enthusiasm. In 1881, a Shrewsbury schoolfellow, Edward …
- … The Life and Letters of Charles Darwin , 3 vols (London: John Murray, 1887, 1888), vol. 1, pp. 50-1 …
- … 1 of a Biography (London: Pimlico, 1996), pp. 99-100. Letter from E.J.J.G. Edwards to Darwin, 28 …
3.8 Leonard Darwin, interior photo
Summary
< Back to Introduction Leonard Darwin, who created the distinctive image of his father sitting on the verandah at Down House, also portrayed him as a melancholy philosopher. His head, brightly lit from above, emerges from the enveloping darkness; he…
Matches: 7 hits
- … in 1878. The latter date is accepted by Geoffrey Belknap and John van Wyhe, but, as explained above, …
- … to the portrait of Darwin, although a pencilled note on the letter could suggest that Leonard was …
- … Magazine , written by its editor Shirley Hibberd in 1881, and well expresses Hibberd’s conviction …
- … DAR 186.34 (DCP-LETT-11484), Leonard Darwin’s letter to his father, enclosing unidentified …
- … actually appeared in the Gardeners’ Magazine (20 Aug. 1881), illustrating Hibberd’s article, ‘Mr …
- … Cambridge University Press, 1909), p. 47, no. 252. Rich’s letter to the Darwin family mentioning …
- … A Century of Family Letters, 1792-1896 , 2 vols (London: John Murray, 1915), vol. 2, p. 259. …
