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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: 22 hits
- … 1874 was one of consolidation, reflection, and turmoil for Darwin. He spent the early months working …
- … dispute over an anonymous review that attacked the work of Darwin’s son George dominated the second …
- … and traveller Alexander von Humboldt’s 105th birthday, Darwin obliged with a reflection on his debt …
- … 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] ). …
- … Andrew Clark, whom he had been consulting since August 1873. Darwin had originally thought that …
- … 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 ). …
- … Descent was published in November 1874 ( letter from R. F. Cooke, 12 November 1874 ). Though …
- … on subsequent print runs would be very good ( letter from R. F. Cooke, 12 November 1874 ). …
- … review me in a hostile spirit’ ( letter to John Murray, 11 August 1874 ). Darwin was …
- … Correspondence vol. 20, letter to St G. J. Mivart, 11 January [1872] ). To Darwin’s relief, …
- … the moment of being hatched ( letter to Nature , 7 and 11 May [1874] ; Spalding 1872a). …
- … the subject & that must be enough for me’ ( letter to W. D. Fox, 11 May [1874] ). …
- … the hardest cartilage, bone & meat &c. &c.’ ( letter to W. D. Fox, 11 May [1874] ). …
- … Correspondence vol. 21, letter from Francis Darwin, [11 October 1873] ). Darwin wasted …
- … the photograph he sent highly ( letter from D. F. Nevill, [11 September 1874] ). At the …
- … do when they are sitting at rest’ ( letter from S. W. Pennypacker, 14 September 1874 ). …
- … Sharpe for promotion at the British Museum ( letter to R. B. Sharpe, 24 November [1874] ). He …
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: 24 hits
- … At the start of 1863, Charles Darwin was actively working on the manuscript of The variation of …
- … markedly, reflecting a decline in his already weak health. Darwin then began punctuating letters …
- … am languid & bedeviled … & hate everybody’. Although Darwin did continue his botanical …
- … of the water-cure. The treatment was not effective and Darwin remained ill for the rest of the year. …
- … the correspondence from the year. These letters illustrate Darwin’s preoccupation with the …
- … to man’s place in nature both had a direct bearing on Darwin’s species theory and on the problem …
- … from ‘some Quadrumanum animal’, as he put it in a letter to J. D. Hooker of 24[–5] February [1863] …
- … detailed anatomical similarities between humans and apes, Darwin was full of praise. He especially …
- … ‘I declare I never in my life read anything grander’ ( letter to T. H. Huxley, 26 [February 1863] …
- … than Origin had (see Correspondence vol. 8, letter to Charles Lyell, 10 January [1860] ). …
- … regarding species change ( letter from Charles Lyell, 11 March 1863 ). The botanist Asa Gray, …
- … by descent put him ‘into despair’ ( letter to Asa Gray, 11 May [1863] ). In the same letter, he …
- … bottom of seas, lakes, and rivers ( Correspondence vol. 11, Appendix VII). Quarrels at …
- … this subject seems to get rarer & rarer’ ( letter to H. W. Bates, 18 April [1863] ), …
- … for the Natural History Review ( see letter to H. W. Bates, 12 January [1863] ). Darwin added …
- … Academy of Sciences, Berlin (see Correspondence vol. 11, Appendix III), and of the Société des …
- … unsuccessful ( see letter from E. A. Darwin to Emma Darwin, 11 November [1863] ). The council of …
- … [9 May 1863] , and memorandum from G. H. Darwin, [before 11 May 1863]) . As he struggled …
- … to drive the quietest man mad’ ( letter to Asa Gray, 11 May [1863] ). Hooker and Gray agreed …
- … tropical plants than before (see Correspondence vol. 11, Appendix VI). He was fascinated with …
- … pistils mature at different times ( see letter to Asa Gray, 11 May [1863] ). The fertility of …
- … on the bookcase and around the head of the sofa ( letter to W. E. Darwin, [25 July 1863], and …
- … very slowly recovering, but am very weak’ ( letter to A. R. Wallace, [29 September? 1863] ). …
- … was hidden by overgrown trees and shrubs ( see letter from W. D. Fox, 7 September [1863] ). Emma …
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: 23 hits
- … | Editors and critics | Assistants Darwin’s correspondence helps bring to light a …
- … community. Here is a selection of letters exchanged between Darwin and his workforce of women …
- … Observers Women: Letter 1194 - Darwin to Whitby, M. A. T., [12 August …
- … silkworm breeds, or peculiarities in inheritance. Letter 3787 - Darwin, H. E. to …
- … to artificially fertilise plants in her garden. Letter 4523 - Wedgwood, L. C. to …
- … be made on seeds of Pulmonaria officinalis . Letter 5745 - Barber, M. E. to …
- … Expression from her home in South Africa. Letter 6736 - Gray, A. & J. L …
- … Expression during a trip to Egypt. Letter 7223 - Darwin to Wedgwood, L. C., …
- … expression of emotion in her pet dog and birds. Letter 5817 - Darwin to Huxley, T. …
- … is making similar observations for him. Letter 6535 - Vaughan Williams , M. S. …
- … Letter 1701 - Morris, M. H. to Prior, R. C. A., [17 June 1855] Margaretta Hare Morris …
- … Lychnis diurna. Letter 8168 - Ruck, A. R . to Darwin, H., [20 January 1872] …
- … lawn. Letter 8224 - Darwin to Ruck, A. R., [24 February 1872] Darwin …
- … Himalaya and Tibet. Letter 4139 - Darwin, W. E. to Darwin, [4 May 1863] …
- … Letter 4928 - Henslow, G. to Darwin, [11 November 1865] J. S. Henslow’s son, George, …
- … Letter 1701 - Morris, M. H. to Prior, R. C. A., [17 June 1855] Margaretta Hare Morris …
- … detail. Family letter: Darwin, E. to Darwin, W. E., [January 23rd 1887]: Emma …
- … of his garden. Letter 4233 - Tegetmeier, W. B. to Darwin, [29 June - 7 July 1863] …
- … garden ”. Letter 6083 - Casparay, J. X. R. to Darwin, [2 April 1868] …
- … Letter 2461 - Darwin to Hooker, J. D., [11 May 1859] Darwin expresses anxiety over …
- … and edited by “a lady”. Darwin, E. to Darwin, W. E. , (March, 1862 - DAR 219.1:49) …
- … Letter 7858 - Darwin to Wa llace, A. R., [12 July 1871] Darwin tells Wallace that …
- … over. Letter 8153 - Darwin to Darwin, W. E., [9 January 1872] Darwin …
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: 25 hits
- … ‘My career’, Darwin wrote towards the end of 1872, ‘is so nearly closed. . . What little more I can …
- … of On the origin of species , intended to be Darwin’s last, and of Expression of the …
- … books brought a strong if deceptive sense of a job now done: Darwin intended, he declared to Alfred …
- … anything more on 'so difficult a subject, as evolution’ ( letter to A. R. Wallace, 27 July …
- … of books and papers, and the latter formed the subject of Darwin’s last book, The formation of …
- … worms , published in the year before his death. Despite Darwin’s declared intention to take up new …
- … begun many years before. In his private life also, Darwin was in a nostalgic frame of mind, …
- … The last word on Origin The year opened with Darwin, helped by his eldest son William, …
- … on 30 January , shortly after correcting the proofs, and Darwin’s concern for the consolidation of …
- … best efforts, set the final price at 7 s. 6 d. ( letter from R. F. Cooke, 12 February 1872 ) …
- … condition as I can make it’, he wrote to the translator ( letter to J. J. Moulinié, 23 September …
- … translation remained unpublished at the end of the year ( letter from C.-F. Reinwald, 23 November …
- … to the comparative anatomist St George Jackson Mivart ( letter to St G. J. Mivart, 11 January …
- … comparison of Whale & duck most beautiful’ ( letter from A. R. Wallace, 3 March 1872 ) …
- … a person as I am made to appear’, complained Darwin ( letter to St G. J. Mivart, 5 January 1872 ). …
- … Mivart not to acknowledge it ( letter to St G. J. Mivart, 11 January [1872] ). 'I hate …
- … `chiefly perhaps because I do it badly’ ( letter to A. R. Wallace, 3 August [1872] ). …
- … attacks on Darwin became notorious, had written on 11 May expressing concern that his recently, …
- … well informed: `The die is cast’, he wrote excitedly on 11 May , when the matter was first raised …
- … a week later ( enclosure to letter from John Lubbock to W. E. Gladstone, 20 June 1872 ). Darwin …
- … & new views which are daily turning up’ ( letter to A. R. Wallace, 28 August [1872] ). …
- … you agreed to let them have it for love!!!’ ( letter from R. F. Cooke, 1 August 1872 ). It …
- … & have not taken care of ourselves’ ( letter from R. F. Cooke, 20 November 1872 ). A …
- … use of the microscope led his head to `fail’ ( letter to W. D. Fox, 29 October [1872] ) he had …
- … by hearing about Panagæus!’ Darwin wrote ( letter to W. D. Fox, 16 July [1872] ). I …
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: 25 hits
- … When Darwin resumed systematic research on emotions around 1866, he began to collect …
- … handwritten copies were sent out in 1867 (see, for example, letter to Fritz Muller, 22 February …
- … was the collection of observations on a global scale. Darwin was especially interested in peoples …
- … cultural and conventional, or instinctive and universal. Darwin used his existing correspondence …
- … and with the mouth a little drawn back at the corners?” Darwin’s questionnaire was an extension of …
- … was also carefully devised so as to prevent the feelings of Darwin’s remote observers from colouring …
- … Correspondence about Darwin’s Questionnaire (click on the letter dates to see the individual letters …
- … Correspondent Letter date Location …
- … nodding vertically Blair, R.H. 11 July …
- … Africa)? ] mentioned in JPM Weale letter, but Bowker's answers not found …
- … Chaumont, F.S.B.F. de 11 March 1871 Woolston, …
- … Square W London, England enclosed in a letter from Henry Maudsley …
- … pouting Darwin, W.E. [after 29 March 1868] …
- … in blind students Darwin, W.E. [7? April …
- … blushing Darwin, W.E. [22? April 1868] …
- … 13 June 1870 Portman Square, London W., England (about Auracania, Peru) …
- … South Africa possibly included in letter from Mansel Weale …
- … (about Puget’s Sound, Oregon,USA) N. W. Indians …
- … 32 Queen Anne St. Cavendish Square W, London, England Enclosed letter from Dr. …
- … 9 Nov 1870 11 St Mary Abbot's Terrace, London, England …
- … 1 Feb 1871 11 St Mary Abbot's Terrace, London, England …
- … 7 Sept 1872 11 St Mary Abbot's Terrace, London, England …
- … 1 Feb. 1871 11 Saint Mary Abbot's Terrace, Kensington. W., London, …
- … in Hottentots Smyth, R. Brough 13 Aug 1868 …
- … Sulivan, B.J. 11 Jan 1867 Bournemouth, England …
Darwin in letters, 1876: In the midst of life
Summary
1876 was the year in which the Darwins became grandparents for the first time. And tragically lost their daughter-in-law, Amy, who died just days after her son's birth. All the letters from 1876 are now published in volume 24 of The Correspondence…
Matches: 19 hits
- … The year 1876 started out sedately enough with Darwin working on the first draft of his book on the …
- … games. ‘I have won, hurrah, hurrah, 2795 games’, Darwin boasted; ‘my wife … poor creature, has won …
- … regarding the ailments that were so much a feature of Darwin family life. But the calm was not to …
- … four days later. ‘I cannot bear to think of the future’, Darwin confessed to William on 11 …
- … and his baby son Bernard now part of the household, and Darwin recasting his work on dimorphic and …
- … quantity of work’ left in him for ‘new matter’ (letter to Asa Gray, 28 January 1876). The …
- … to a reprint of the second edition of Climbing plants ( letter from R. F. Cooke, 23 February …
- … & I for blundering’, he cheerfully observed to Carus. ( Letter to J. V. Carus, 24 April 1876. …
- … provided evidence for the ‘advantages of crossing’ (letter to Asa Gray, 28 January 1876). Revising …
- … year to write about his life ( Correspondence vol. 23, letter from Ernst von Hesse-Wartegg, 20 …
- … nowadays is evolution and it is the correct one’ ( letter from Nemo, [1876?] ). …
- … him ‘basely’ and who had succeeded in giving him pain ( letter to A. R. Wallace, 17 June 1876 ). …
- … disgrace’ of blackballing so distinguished a zoologist ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 29 January 1876 ) …
- … must have been cast by the ‘poorest curs in London’ ( letter to W. T. Thiselton-Dyer, [4 February …
- … naturalist Thomas Edward ( letter from F. M. Balfour, 11 December 1876 ; letter to Samuel Smiles …
- … of illness & misery there is in the world’ ( letter to W. D. Fox, 26 May [1876] ). A …
- … who died at the age of 10 in 1851, but William, who was 11 years old at the time of her death, would …
- … we have & you are one of the best of all’ ( letter to W. E. Darwin, 11 September [1876] ). …
- … do I cannot conceive’, Darwin wrote anxiously to Hooker on 11 September. By the time Darwin …
Race, Civilization, and Progress
Summary
Darwin's first reflections on human progress were prompted by his experiences in the slave-owning colony of Brazil, and by his encounters with the Yahgan peoples of Tierra del Fuego. Harsh conditions, privation, poor climate, bondage and servitude,…
Matches: 21 hits
- … Letters | Selected Readings Darwin's first reflections on human progress were …
- … human progress or cause degeneration. In the "Fuegians", Darwin thought he had witnessed …
- … several years earlier as part of a missionary enterprise. Darwin was struck by the progress that had …
- … been returned to their native land. After the voyage, Darwin began to question the …
- … After the publication of Origin of Species , many of Darwin's supporters continued to …
- … or extermination of other peoples and cultures. When Darwin wrote about the human races and …
- … on human and animal behavior accumulated over three decades. Darwin argued forcefully for the unity …
- … and beyond. Letters Darwin’s first observations of the peoples …
- … of botany at Cambridge, John Stevens Henslow. Letter 204 : Darwin to Henslow, J. S., …
- … Charles wrote to his sister, Emily Catherine Darwin, about witnessing slavery in the Portuguese …
- … 1833 which took effect in the following year. Letter 206 : Darwin to Darwin, E. C., 22 …
- … of the polygenist theory of human descent. Letter 4933 : Farrar, F. W. to Darwin, …
- … about the state of civilization of the natives. Letter 5617 , Darwin to Weale, J. P. M …
- … wonderful fact in the progress of civilization" Letter 5722 , Weale, J. P. M. to …
- … of Species , Darwin discussed his views on progress in a letter to Charles Lyell, insisting that …
- … of life" ( Origin , 6 th ed, p. 98). Letter 2503 : Darwin, C. R. to Lyell, C …
- … not profit it, there would be no advance.— " Letter 6728 : from Charles Lyell, 5 …
- … but may guide the forces & laws of Nature." Letter 6866 : From Federico Delpino …
- … in this inner principle, inborn in all things." Letter 8658 : to Alpheus Hyatt, 4 …
- … William Graham. Letter 2503 : Darwin, C. R. to Lyell, C., 11 October [1859] I …
- … in rank." Letter 4510 : Darwin to Wallace, A. R., 28 [May 1864] "Now …
Darwin in letters, 1877: Flowers and honours
Summary
Ever since the publication of Expression, Darwin’s research had centred firmly on botany. The year 1877 was no exception. The spring and early summer were spent completing Forms of flowers, his fifth book on a botanical topic. He then turned to the…
Matches: 26 hits
- … Ever since the publication of Expression , Darwin’s research had centred firmly on botany. The …
- … of these projects would culminate in a major publication. Darwin’s botany was increasingly a …
- … assisted his father’s research on movement and bloom, and Darwin in turn encouraged his son’s own …
- … The year 1877 was more than usually full of honours. Darwin received two elaborate photograph albums …
- … from Germany, Austria, and the Netherlands. Closer to home, Darwin received an honorary Doctorate of …
- … sites for possible earthworm activity. Now in his 69th year, Darwin remained remarkably productive, …
- … no controversy. In his autobiographical reflections, Darwin remarked: ‘no little discovery of …
- … of respect and affection’. He hinted as much in his letter of 4 June : ‘you will see I have done …
- … the popularity of his book, writing to Robert Cooke on 11 April , ‘though I believe it is of …
- … to Down if it lay in my power and you thought it w d . help you.’ ‘I declare had it not been for …
- … have shared Hooker’s suspicion of ambitious gardeners ( letter from W. T. Thiselton-Dyer, 25 August …
- … method of recording leaf motion for extended periods. In a letter to Thiselton-Dyer of 11 October …
- … … tap one of the young leaves with a delicate twig’ ( letter to R. I. Lynch, 14 September 1877 ). …
- … but I think the great honour of its being printed in the R. Soc. Transactions, (sh d . the …
- … , or to the vibratory flagella of some Infusoria’ ( letter from F. J. Cohn, 5 August 1877 ). …
- … in July 1877 (F. Darwin 1877b), and Darwin sent Cohn’s letter vindicating his son’s research to …
- … copies of Kosmos covering the German debate (letters to W. E. Gladstone, 2 October 1877 and …
- … his sense of form and of motion was exact and lively’ ( letter from W. E. Gladstone, 23 October …
- … larger aim was announced in the subtitle: Zeitschrift für einheitliche Weltanschauung auf Grund …
- … Charles Darwin and Ernst Haeckel). Writing to Darwin on 11 March 1877 , Krause declared the …
- … visits from distinguished persons. Gladstone came to Down on 11 March. ‘I expected a stern, …
- … blood and thus keep back our civilization’ ( letter from W. B. Bowles, 17 May 1877 ). Bowles …
- … to hide the absence of humanity beneath’ ( letter from W. B. Bowles, 18 May 1877 ). More …
- … not been a difficulty to me,’ he replied to Romanes on 11 June , ‘as I have never believed in a …
- … that they become quite tipsy’ ( letter to W. M. Moorsom, 11 September [1877] ). Moorsom replied …
- … any recognition by any public bodies of England & that y r . own University w d . like to be …
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: 16 hits
- … Female readership | Reading Variation Darwin's letters, in particular those …
- … a broad variety of women had access to, and engaged with, Darwin's published works. A set of …
- … Were women a target audience? Letter 2447 - Darwin to Murray, J., [5 April 1859] …
- … that his views are original and will appeal to the public. Darwin asks Murray to forward the …
- … 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 …
- … Variation Letter 5712 - Dallas, W. S. to Darwin, [8 December 1867] …
- … work. Letter 5861 - Blyth, E. to Darwin, [11 February 1868] Zoologist …
- … of Variation . Letter 6237 - Bullar, R. to Darwin, [9 June 1868] …
- … Letter 9633 - Nevill, D. F. to Darwin, [11 September 1874] Dorothy Nevill tells …
Darwin in letters, 1864: Failing health
Summary
On receiving a photograph from Charles Darwin, the American botanist Asa Gray wrote on 11 July 1864: ‘the venerable beard gives the look of your having suffered, and … of having grown older’. Because of poor health, Because of poor health, Darwin…
Matches: 22 hits
- … On receiving a photograph from Charles Darwin, the American botanist Asa Gray wrote on 11 July …
- … … of having grown older’. This portrait, the first of Darwin with his now famous beard, had been …
- … 52 hours without vomiting!! In the same month, Darwin began to consult William Jenner, …
- … prescribed a variety of antacids and purgatives, and limited Darwin’s fluid intake; this treatment …
- … the dimorphic aquatic cut-grass Leersia . In May, Darwin finished his paper on Lythrum …
- … he had set aside the previous summer. In October, Darwin let his friends know that on his …
- … and he received more letters of advice from Jenner. In a letter of 15 December [1864] to the …
- … November and December were also marked by the award to Darwin of the Royal Society’s Copley Medal; …
- … As Darwin explained to his cousin William Darwin Fox in a letter of 30 November [1864] , ‘the …
- … continue his observations indoors ( Correspondence vol. 11). In a letter of [27 January 1864] …
- … gradation by which leaves produce tendrils’ ( letter to J. D. Hooker, [8 February 1864] ). …
- … fearfully for it is a leaf climber & therefore sacred’ ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 2 June [1864] …
- … matters which routinists regard in the light of axioms’ ( letter from Daniel Oliver, [17 March 1864 …
- … long series of changes . . .’ When he told Asa Gray in a letter of 29 October [1864] that he was …
- … paper was published, Darwin remarked to Hooker in a letter of 26 November [1864] that nothing …
- … of the two species with the common oxlip. In a letter of 22 October [1864] , Darwin triumphantly …
- … the ‘splendid case of Dimorphism’ in Menyanthes ( letter from Emma and Charles Darwin to W. E. …
- … this interest. At the start of the year, he received a letter, insect specimens, and an article on …
- … 5 September 1864 ). Fritz Müeller sent his book, Für Darwin , and Darwin had it translated by a …
- … two letters to the Athenæum ( Correspondence vol. 11). Darwin’s anxiety about the matter was …
- … and the question of human origins ( Correspondence vol. 11). Wallace, however, traced a possible …
- … on intellectual & moral qualities’ ( letter to A. R. Wallace, 28 [May 1864] ). …
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: 25 hits
- … lessen injury to leaves from radiation In 1878, Darwin devoted most of his attention to …
- … in this process. Working closely with his son Francis, Darwin devised a series of experiments to …
- … plant laboratories in Europe. While Francis was away, Darwin delighted in his role as …
- … from botanical research was provided by potatoes, as Darwin took up the cause of an Irish …
- … would rid Ireland of famine. Several correspondents pressed Darwin for his views on religion, …
- … closed with remarkable news of a large legacy bequeathed to Darwin by a stranger as a reward for his …
- … Hooker, ‘or as far as I know any scientific man’ ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 14 December [1878] ). …
- … Expression ), and the final revision of Origin (1872), Darwin had turned almost exclusively to …
- … Movement in plants In the spring of 1878, Darwin started to focus on the first shoots and …
- … were enrolled as researchers, as were family members. Darwin asked his niece Sophy to observe …
- … or arched.… Almost all seedlings come up arched’ ( letter to Sophy Wedgwood, 24 March [1878–80] ). …
- … on one side, then another, to produce movement in the stalk. Darwin compared adult and young leaves …
- … when he finds out that he missed sensitiveness of apex’ ( letter to Francis Darwin, [11 May 1878] …
- … Darwin complained. ‘I am ashamed at my blunder’ ( letter to John Tyndall, 22 December [1878] ). …
- … accursed German language: Sachs is very kind to him’ ( letter to W. T. Thiselton-Dyer, 18 June …
- … have nobody to talk to, about my work, I scribble to you ( letter to Francis Darwin, 7 [July 1878] …
- … but it is horrid not having you to discuss it with’ ( letter to Francis Darwin, 20 [July 1878] ). …
- … determine whether they had chlorophyll, Francis reported ( letter from Francis Darwin, [after 7 …
- … ‘There is one machine we must have’, Francis wrote ( letter from Francis Darwin, [before 17 July …
- … ‘He seems to me to jump to conclusions rather’ ( letter from Francis Darwin, [before 3 August 1878] …
- … to expertise. ‘It is funny’, he wrote to Huxley on 11 August , ‘the Academy having elected a man …
- … Record”’ ( letter from Edmund Mojsisovics von Mojsvár, 28 April 1878 ). ‘What a wonderful change …
- … whatever he earnestly desires’ ( letter to James Grant, 11 March 1878 ). The question of …
- … secretary, Robert Arthur Talbot Gascoyne-Cecil ( letter to R. A. T. Gascoyne-Cecil, 18 May 1878 ). …
- … him of the soundness of London property ( letter from W. E. Darwin, 13 December [1878] ). ‘This is …
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: 14 hits
- … the most notorious realm of controversy over evolution in Darwin's day was religion. The same …
- … nineteenth century were different in important ways. Many of Darwin's leading supporters were …
- … their religious beliefs with evolutionary theory. Darwin's own writing, both in print and …
- … much as possible. A number of correspondents tried to draw Darwin out on his own religious views, …
- … political contexts. Design Darwin was not the first to challenge …
- … on the controversial topic of design. The first is between Darwin and Harvard botanist Asa Gray, …
- … 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, …
- … Letter 5004 — Darwin, C. R. to Shaw, James, 11 Feb [1866] Darwin thanks James Shaw for the …
- … Letter 1536 — Darwin, C. R. to Lubbock, J. W. (b), 11 Oct [1853] Darwin gives his opinion to …
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
- … In 1882, Darwin reached his 74th year Earthworms had been published the previous …
- … for scientific colleagues or their widows facing hardship. Darwin had suffered from poor health …
- … ‘I feel a very old man, & my course is nearly run’ ( letter to Lawson Tait, 13 February 1882 ) …
- … of his scientific friends quickly organised a campaign for Darwin to have greater public recognition …
- … Botanical observation and experiment had long been Darwin’s greatest scientific pleasure. The year …
- … fertility of crosses between differently styled plants ( letter from Fritz Müller, 1 January 1882 …
- … working at the effects of Carbonate of Ammonia on roots,’ Darwin wrote, ‘the chief result being that …
- … for some hours in a weak solution of C. of Ammonia’. Darwin’s interest in root response and the …
- … London on 6 and 16 March, respectively. In January, Darwin corresponded with George John …
- … François Marie Glaziou (see Correspondence vol. 28, letter from Arthur de Souza Corrêa, 20 …
- … experiments had been conducted to lend support to Darwin’s theory of pangenesis (see …
- … 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 ). …
- … find stooping over the microscope affects my heart’ ( letter to Henry Groves, 3 April 1882 ). …
- … rather the best of the fight’ ( letter from G. F. Crawte, 11 March 1882 ). The battle apparently …
- … and a ‘Glycerin Pepsin mixture’ (letters to W. W. Baxter, 11 March 1882 and 18 March [1882 ]) …
- … immediately wrote to George, who had visited Down on 11 April (Emma Darwin’s diary (DAR 242)). …
- … overflowing in tenderness’ (letter from Emma Darwin to W. E. Darwin, 10 May 1882 (DAR 219.1: 150)). …
- … where he had witnessed an earthquake in 1835 ( letter from R. E. Alison, [March–July 1835 ]). …
- … pains)… would be very interesting to me’ ( letter to E. W. V. Harcourt, 24 June [1856] ). In a …
- … will be months before I am able to work’ ( letter to A. R. Wallace, [ c . 10 April 1864] ). To …
- … man’s private property’ ( letter to George Warington, 11 October [1867] ). Respecting the …
Darwin in letters,1866: Survival of the fittest
Summary
The year 1866 began well for Charles Darwin, as his health, after several years of illness, was now considerably improved. In February, Darwin received a request from his publisher, John Murray, for a new edition of Origin. Darwin got the fourth…
Matches: 23 hits
- … The year 1866 began well for Charles Darwin, as his health, after several years of illness, was now …
- … and also a meeting with Herbert Spencer, who was visiting Darwin’s neighbour, Sir John Lubbock. In …
- … Pound foolish, Penurious, Pragmatical Prigs’ ( letter from J. D. Hooker, [29 December 1866] ). But …
- … all but the concluding chapter of the work was submitted by Darwin to his publisher in December. …
- … hypothesis of hereditary transmission. Debate about Darwin’s theory of transmutation …
- … able to write easy work for about 1½ hours every day’ ( letter to H. B. Jones, 3 January [1866] ). …
- … once daily to make the chemistry go on better’ ( letter from H. B. Jones, 10 February [1866] ). …
- … see you out with our beagles before the season is over’ ( letter from John Lubbock, 4 August 1866 …
- … work doing me any harm—any how I can’t be idle’ ( letter to W. D. Fox, 24 August [1866] ). …
- … production of which Tegetmeier had agreed to supervise ( letter to W. B. Tegetmeier, 16 January …
- … you go on, after the startling apparition of your face at R.S. Soirèe—which I dreamed of 2 nights …
- … Haeckel. The German zoologist had written to Darwin on 11 January 1866 , ‘Every time I succeed in …
- … there are over 200 medallions of Papa made by a man from W ms photo in circulation amongst the …
- … teleological development ( see for example, letter to C. W. Nägeli, 12 June [1866] ). Also in …
- … and June on the subject of Rhamnus catharticus (now R. cathartica ). Darwin had become …
- … (Correspondence vol. 9, letter from Asa Gray, 11 October 1861 ). Darwin wished to establish …
- … of separate sexes. William gathered numerous specimens of R. catharticus , the only species of …
- … species was ‘merely ordinaryly diœcious’ ( letter from W. E. Darwin, [7 May – 11 June 1866] ). On …
- … is a case of dimorphic becoming diœcious’ ( letter from W. E. Darwin, 20 June [1866] ). …
- … I am well accustomed to such explosions’ ( letter to W. E. Darwin, 22 June [1866] ). He urged …
- … replied with a modified list, adding Fritz Müller’s Für Darwin , and a recent fossil discovery in …
- … selection, and with special creation ( letter from W. R. Grove, 31 August 1866 ). Hooker later …
- … ‘I am glad to hear from Spencer’, Huxley wrote on 11 November , ‘that you are on the right (that …
Scientific Networks
Summary
Friendship|Mentors|Class|Gender In its broadest sense, a scientific network is a set of connections between people, places, and things that channel the communication of knowledge, and that substantially determine both its intellectual form and content,…
Matches: 14 hits
- … and colonial authorities. In the nineteenth-century, letter writing was one of the most important …
- … when strong institutional structures were largely absent. Darwin had a small circle of scientific …
- … in times of uncertainty, controversy, or personal loss. Letter writing was not only a means of …
- … section contains two sets of letters. The first is between Darwin and his friend Kew botanist J. D. …
- … and he is curious about Hooker’s thoughts. Letter 729 — Darwin, C. R. to Hooker, J. D., …
- … to Hooker “it is like confessing a murder”. Letter 736 — Darwin, C. R. to Hooker, J. D. …
- … wide-ranging genera. Darwin and Gray Letter 1674 — Darwin, C. R. to Gray, …
- … and asks him to append the ranges of the species. Letter 1685 — Gray, Asa to Darwin, C. …
- … and relationships of alpine flora in the USA. Letter 2125 — Darwin, C. R. to Gray, Asa, …
- … exchange. Letter 1202 — Darwin, C. R. to Hooker, J. D., 6 Oct [1848] Darwin …
- … Letter 1220 — Hooker, J. D. to Darwin, C. R., 3 Feb 1849 In this gossipy letter, Hooker …
- … descriptions. Letter 1260 — Darwin, C. R. to Hooker, J. D., 12 Oct 1849 Darwin …
- … forms of address and acknowledgement. Darwin and W. B. Tegetmeier Letter 1751 — …
- … Letter 3800 — Scott, John to Darwin, C. R., [11 Nov 1862] Scottish gardener John Scott notes …
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: 18 hits
- … There are summaries of all Darwin's letters from the year 1879 on this website. The full texts …
- … 27 of the print edition of The correspondence of Charles Darwin , published by Cambridge …
- … to publish a biographical account of his grandfather Erasmus Darwin to accompany a translation of an …
- … the sensitivity of the tips. Despite this breakthrough, when Darwin first mentioned the book to his …
- … 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 ). …
- … of the Admiralty described the unknown young man as ‘A M r Darwin grandson of the well known …
- … him on 9 June not to ‘expend much powder & shot on M r Butler’, for he really was not worth …
- … leaving Darwin ‘more perplexed than ever about life of D r . D’ ( letter to Francis Darwin, 12 …
- … and he regretted going beyond his ‘tether’ ( letter to W. T. Thiselton-Dyer, 5 June 1879 , and …
- … traveller … neither cross nor ennuied’ (Emma Darwin to W. E. Darwin, [4 August 1879] (DAR 219.1: 125 …
- … which is his profession tho’ not a profitable one; also D r C[lark]’s opinion that he was so …
- … to say that he has opposed it’ (letter from Emma Darwin to W. E. Darwin, [4 August 1879] (DAR 219.1: …
- … greatly amused Darwin, who felt it was ‘very acute of M r Ruskin to know that I feel a deep & …
- … & scientific men’, Darwin wrote in reply on 11 January . ‘Search for the truth, & then …
- … German men of science quarrelled (letter from Emma Darwin to W. E. Darwin, [6 September 1879] (DAR …
Darwin on race and gender
Summary
Darwin’s views on race and gender are intertwined, and mingled also with those of class. In Descent of man, he tried to explain the origin of human races, and many of the differences between the sexes, with a single theory: sexual selection. Sexual…
Matches: 17 hits
- … Darwin’s views on race and gender are intertwined, and mingled also with …
- … in beetles. The unity of human species Darwin believed that the same process of sexual …
- … gradually increase those features over long periods of time. Darwin’s theory was based partly on the …
- … seemed to prevail across the globe. In Descent , Darwin also addressed widely held beliefs …
- … of ‘species’, ‘varieties’, and ‘races’. Darwin argued forcefully for the unity of the human species, …
- … Gender and civilisation In his early notebooks, Darwin remarked that survival value or …
- … , B74). In his later writings on plants and animals, Darwin remained consistent on this point, and …
- … improvement, or design. However, when it came to humans, Darwin reintroduced the structure of …
- … and present, on the basis of their ‘civilization’. Here Darwin drew on contemporary anthropology, …
- … colonial conquests and expansion abroad. Thus, while Darwin’s views on race differed widely …
- … in the success of nations’ ( Descent 1: 239). For Darwin, the civilising process was essentially …
- … taken from their homeland in Tierra del Fuego to England, Darwin wrote: ‘in contradiction of what …
- … ( Beagle diary , p. 143). He was delighted to receive a letter from an African correspondent …
- … and Progress Key letters: Letter to J. S. Henslow, 11 April 1833 …
- … Press. Desmond, Adrian and James Moore. 2009. Darwin's sacred cause . London: Allen …
- … of Science 6: 9–23 [in a special issue on ‘Descent of Darwin: race, sex, and human nature’]. …
- … Correspondence with women Key letters : Letter to H. E. Darwin, [8 February …
Darwin in letters, 1868: Studying sex
Summary
The quantity of Darwin’s correspondence increased dramatically in 1868 due largely to his ever-widening research on human evolution and sexual selection.Darwin’s theory of sexual selection as applied to human descent led him to investigate aspects of the…
Matches: 24 hits
- … On 6 March 1868, Darwin wrote to the entomologist and accountant John Jenner Weir, ‘If any …
- … he ought to do what I am doing pester them with letters.’ Darwin was certainly true to his word. The …
- … and sexual selection. In Origin , pp. 87–90, Darwin had briefly introduced the concept of …
- … in satisfying female preference in the mating process. In a letter to Alfred Russel Wallace in 1864, …
- … to the stridulation of crickets. At the same time, Darwin continued to collect material on …
- … his immediate circle of friends and relations. In July 1868 Darwin was still anticipating that his …
- … as well say, he would drink a little and not too much’ ( letter to Albert Günther, 15 May [1868] ) …
- … Murray to intervene, complaining on 9 January , ‘M r . Dallas’ delay … is intolerable … I am …
- … would be a great loss to the Book’. But Darwin’s angry letter to Murray crossed one from Dallas to …
- … of labour to remuneration I shall look rather blank’ ( letter from W. S. Dallas, 8 January 1868 ). …
- … it was by Gray himself, but Darwin corrected him: ‘D r Gray would strike me in the face, but not …
- … . It is a disgrace to the paper’ ( letter from A. R. Wallace, 24 February [1868] ). The review was …
- … the enthusiastic breeder, who apologised in a letter of 11–13 May 1868 for his ‘voluminuous zeal …
- … Weir, 30 May [1868] ). Sexual selection On 11 February , Darwin wrote to the …
- … well as of ‘victorious males getting wives’ ( letter to W. D. Fox, 25 February [1868] ). …
- … views differed. Of deer-hounds, Cupples wrote between 11 and 13 May , ‘much depends on the …
- … as life he wd find the odour sexual!’ ( letter to A . R. Wallace, 16 September [1868] ). Francis …
- … south of France to Sarah Elizabeth Wedgwood on 9 Novembe r, describing sphinx moths that were …
- … pigeon magenta. To Weir, he wrote on 27 February : ‘It w d be a fine trial to cut off the eyes …
- … question of the “Origin of Species”’ ( letter from A. R. Wallace, 4 October 1868 ). …
- … and had himself watched elephants cry (letters to W. E. Darwin, [15 March 1868] and 8 April …
- … screaming in patients undergoing vaccination ( letter from W. E. Darwin, [7 April 1868] ). Francis …
- … veins, and the action of his platysma muscle ( letter from W. E. Darwin, [15 April 1868] ). The …
- … ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 1 September [1868], n. 11 ). ‘I am not sure’, Darwin reflected in a …
Henrietta Darwin's diary
Summary
Darwin's daughter Henrietta kept a diary for a few momentous weeks in 1871. This was the year in which Descent of Man, the most controversial of her father's books after Origin itself, appeared, a book which she had helped him write. The small…
Matches: 20 hits
- … Charles Darwin’s daughter Henrietta wrote the following journal entries in March and …
- … 1871 in a small lockable, leather-bound notebook now in the Darwin Archive of Cambridge University …
- … excised within it, presumably by Henrietta herself. Darwin’s letters in 1870 and 1871 ( …
- … scepticism; many of her arguments are reminiscent of Darwin’s own discussion of religious belief in …
- … of the theory of natural selection. Snow occasionally sent Darwin information relating to his …
- … of emotion (see letters from F. J. Wedgwood to H. E. and C. R. Darwin, [1867–72], letter nos. …
- … period of their courtship. We are grateful to William Darwin for permission to publish the …
- … amongst whom of course was Lena had any knowledge of it. M r . W. spoke or preached as u like to …
- … & of course everybody was unrevived, but Lena describes Mr. W. as having a definite physical …
- … but as for any ennobling effect I think in her heart she w d allow he had none. Mr. Maclagan on …
- … of the excitement— There was a special service which began w a hymn sung kneeling. Screaming was …
- … an agitated manner that she must go home to her Father who w d be waiting for her—when down came …
- … this but how many misunderstandings & wounded feelings w d . be prevented if it was realised …
- … of words. March 26th/71 Had a long talk w Sno on education first in which Sno quoted G …
- … individual. Free will she has to give up in many regions & w d be prepared to give it up …
- … be a good wife I have indeed neglected my 10 talents. 11 July 5th. A beautiful day …
- … came in seemed so long—I don’t think the next 21 hours w d ever have gone—& then came my …
- … when I feel my day made bright & happy by one short letter. I want him to take me in his arms …
- … ones to cultivate a habit of mind above & beyond I think w d be possible. If the girls & …
- … . 10 Bradshaw’s railway guide . 11 For the biblical parable of the talents …
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: 25 hits
- … The year 1871 was an extremely busy and productive one for Darwin, seeing the publication of his …
- … book out of my head’. But a large proportion of Darwin’s time for the rest of the year was devoted …
- … way, and the initial reception of the book in the press. Darwin fielded numerous letters from …
- … offered sharp criticism or even condemnation. Darwin had expected controversy. ‘I shall be …
- … a bare-faced manner.”‘ The most lively debate centred on Darwin’s evolutionary account of the …
- … taste. Correspondence with his readers and critics helped Darwin to clarify, and in some cases …
- … year was the preparation of his manuscript on expression. Darwin continued to investigate the …
- … also brought a significant milestone for the family, as Darwin’s eldest daughter Henrietta was …
- … during several past years, has been a great amusement’. Darwin had been working fairly continuously …
- … do to talk about it, which no doubt promotes the sale’ ( letter from J. D. Hooker, 26 March 1871 ) …
- … 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] …
- … Arthur Nicols, 7 March 1871 ; letter from B. J. Sulivan, 11 March 1871 ; letter from Hermann …
- … so giddy I can hardly sit up, so no more’ ( letter to A. R. Wallace, 4 August [1871] ). On 23 …
- … year, but he was sympathetic about the venture: ‘it w d be almost superhuman virtue to give it up …
- … ( letter to Asa Gray, 16 July [1871] , letter to S. R. S. Norton, 23 November [1871] ). …
- … a ‘venerable old Ape’ ( letter from D. Thomas, [after 11 March 1871] ). Descent and …
