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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: 20 hits
- … but really I do think you have a good right to be so’ ( letter from J. D. Hooker, [15 and] 20 …
- … species. Darwin attempted to dissuade him from this view ( letter to T. H. Huxley, 14 [January 1862 …
- … partially sterile together. He failed. Huxley replied ( letter from T. H. Huxley, 20 January 1862 …
- … and pronounced them ‘simply perfect’, but continued ( letter to T. H. Huxley, 18 December [1862] ) …
- … resigned to their difference of opinion, but complained ( letter to T. H. Huxley, 28 December [1862 …
- … letters, Darwin, impressed, gave him the commission ( see letter to John Scott, 11 December [1862] …
- … telling Hooker: ‘he is no common man’ ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 12 [December 1862] ). Two …
- … Towards the end of the year, he wrote to Hooker ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 12 [December 1862] ): …
- … and assistance with experiments. In January, he wrote to Asa Gray thanking him for some ‘new cases …
- … had ‘different functions’. He continued to write to Gray throughout the year about his quest for …
- … became increasingly frustrated, telling Hooker ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 7 March [1862] ): ‘I am …
- … time on the problem: ‘the labour is great’, he told Gray ( letter to Asa Gray, 10–20 June [1862] ) …
- … from his ‘ enormous labour over them’ ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 14 [October 1862] ; see ML 2: …
- … case warranted a paper for the Linnean Society ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 6 October [1862] ). …
- … son, William, his language was more blunt ( letter to W. E. Darwin, 14 February [1862] ): ‘whether …
- … about anything I published’, he told Hooker ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 15 [May 1862] ). But he did …
- … French Translation will appear very soon’ ( letter to C. E. Brown-Séquard, 2 January [1862] ). …
- … Bronn died suddenly from a heart attack ( see letter from E. Schweizerbart’sche Verlagsbuchhandlung …
- … and Emma ‘perplexed to death what to do’ ( letter to W. E. Darwin, [2–3 August 1862] ). They …
- … work would make his life ‘much happier’ ( letter to W. E. Darwin, 14 February [1862] ). Darwin …
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: 19 hits
- … At the start of 1863, Charles Darwin was actively working on the manuscript of The variation …
- … that he was ‘unwell & must write briefly’ ( letter to John Scott, 31 May [1863] ), and in a …
- … persevered with his work on Variation until 20 July, his letter-writing dwindled considerably. The …
- … of man and his history' The first five months of 1863 contain the bulk of the …
- … from ‘some Quadrumanum animal’, as he put it in a letter to J. D. Hooker of 24[–5] February [1863] …
- … ‘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] ). …
- … wished his one-time mentor had not said a word ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 24[–5] February [1863] ). …
- … from Charles Lyell, 11 March 1863 ). The botanist Asa Gray, Darwin’s friend in the United States, …
- … Huxley’s book would scare them off ( see letter from Asa Gray, 20 April 1863 ). In May, Darwin …
- … difficulty in answering Owen unaided ’ ( letter from J. D. Hooker, [23 February 1863] ). Hugh …
- … of Lyell’s book being written by others’ ( letter from J. D. Hooker, [23 February 1863] ). …
- … to see men fighting so for a little fame’ ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 17 March [1863] ). …
- … seen how indignant all Owen’s lies and mean conduct about E. Columbi made me… . The case is come to …
- … to capture his and others’ attention ( see letter to J. D. Dana, 20 February [1863] , and letter …
- … a letter to the Athenæum in response ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 5 March [1863] ). He later …
- … and letter to Athenæum , 18 April [1863] ). He told Gray: ‘Under the cloak of a fling at …
- … Copley Medal had been unsuccessful ( see letter from E. A. Darwin to Emma Darwin, 11 November [1863 …
- … the bookcase and around the head of the sofa ( letter to W. E. Darwin, [25 July 1863], and …
Cross and self fertilisation
Summary
The effects of cross and self fertilisation in the vegetable kingdom, published on 10 November 1876, was the result of a decade-long project to provide evidence for Darwin’s belief that ‘‘Nature thus tells us, in the most emphatic manner, that she abhors…
Matches: 20 hits
- … self fertilisation in the vegetable kingdom , published on 10 November 1876, was the result of a …
- … by insects, and on the good effects of intercrossing (1862), and in several papers on plants with …
- … … is highly remarkable’ In September 1866, Darwin announced to the American botanist …
- … growth of the young plants is highly remarkable’ ( To Asa Gray, 10 September [1866] ). By early …
- … when grown together for several years ( To Édouard Bornet, 1 December 1866 ). Darwin began a …
- … produced by a cross between two distinct plants’ ( To J. D. Hooker, 17 March [1867] ). He noted …
- … by insects & so have been rarely crossed’ ( To Asa Gray, 15 April [1867] ). One of these …
- … of France where Moggridge lived for part of the year ( To J. T. Moggridge, 1 October [1867] ). …
- … to impotence when taken from the same plant!’ ( To J. D. Hooker, 21 May [1868] ) Pollen tubes, or …
- … the season it becomes capable of self-fertilisation’ ( To J. D. Hooker, 23 July [1871] ). Darwin …
- … with choosing which taxonomic system to follow ( To J. D. Hooker, 17 February 1873 ). Despite also …
- … on cross and self-fertilised plants, as he explained to Gray, ‘I worked last summer hard at Drosera, …
- … dogs till I finish with this & get it published’ ( To Asa Gray, 11 March [1873] ). In …
- … & I have no idea when it will be published’ ( To J. V. Carus, 8 May [1873] ). Hermann Müller …
- … and not on ‘the evil effects of Interbreeding’ ( To J. V. Carus, 2 August [1873] ). In …
- … & Trimorphic plants with new & related matter. ( To J. V. Carus, 19 March [1874] ). A year …
- … ‘I have to add new researches on this subject. ( To J. V. Carus 7 February 1875 ). In fact, …
- … for the fact seems to me all important.’ ( To Asa Gray, 30 May [1875] ). In earlier papers on …
- … By August 1876, the book had gone to press and Darwin told Gray, ‘This will complete all that I …
- … A. R. Wallace, 13 December 1876 ). No reply to this letter has been found, but Darwin had long …
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: 11 hits
- … 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 …
- … He can give me.” Letter 5303 — Boole, M. E. to Darwin, C. R., 13 Dec 1866 In this …
- … Letter 5307 — Darwin, C. R. to Boole, M. E., 14 Dec 1866 Darwin believes he is unable to …
- … Letter 8070 — Darwin, C. R. to Abbot, F. E., 16 Nov [1871] Darwin explains why he must …
- … Letter 12757 — Darwin, C. R. to Aveling, E. B., 13 Oct 1880 In this letter marked “private”, …
- … regarding the Church. Letter 297 — Darwin, S. E. to Darwin, C. R., 12 Feb 1836 …
- … Letter 1536 — Darwin, C. R. to Lubbock, J. W. (b), 11 Oct [1853] Darwin gives his opinion to …
- … Letter 12879 — Darwin, C. R. to Fegan, J. W. C., [Dec 1880 – Feb 1881] Darwin writes to J. W. …
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: 13 hits
- … 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 …
- … of wormholes. Letter 8611 - Cupples, A. J. to Darwin, E., [8 November1872] …
- … her niece’s ears. Letter 8701 - Lubbock, E. F . to Darwin, [1873] Ellen …
- … from Calcutta. Letter 3634 - Darwin to Gray, A., [1 July 1862] Darwin …
- … Letter 4436 - Darwin to Hooker, J. D., [26-27 March 1864] Darwin thanks Hooker for …
- … and orangs. Letter 5705 - Haast, J. F. J. von to Darwin, [4 December 1867] …
- … in a marble tablet”. Letter 6815 - Scott, J. to Darwin, [2 July 1869] John …
- … Men: Letter 385 - Wedgwood, S. E. & J. to Darwin, [10 November 1837] …
- … of White. Letter 4433 - Wright, Charles to Gray, A., [20, 25, 26 March & 1 …
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
- … ‘my wife … poor creature, has won only 2490 games’ ( letter to Asa Gray, 28 January 1876 ). …
- … 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 …
- … of blackballing so distinguished a zoologist ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 29 January 1876 ). Both …
- … results in this year’s experiments’ ( letter from G. J. Romanes, [ c . 19 March 1876] ). A less …
- … by the mutual pressure of very young buds’ ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 21 June [1876] ). Darwin …
- … you suffer largely in the same way’, Darwin wrote to Gray on 28 January . On 14 November, Hooker …
- … paper was ‘not worthy of being read ever’ ( letter from J. D. Hooker, 28 January 1876 ). Darwin …
- … we have & you are one of the best of all’ ( letter to W. E. Darwin, 11 September [1876] ). …
- … she confided to Henrietta (letter from Emma Darwin to H. E. Litchfield, [31 August 1876] (DAR 219.9: …
- … herself & is so tender’ (letter from Emma Darwin to W. E. Darwin, [13 September 1876] (DAR 210.6 …
- … completed autobiography (letter from Emma Darwin to W. E. Darwin, [13 September 1876] (DAR 210.6: …
- … horrid bad style into intelligible English’, he told Asa Gray on 28 October . Please …
- … are not readable, & the 6 last very dull’, he warned Asa Gray on 28 October , when sending …
- … Hildebrand, 6 December 1876 , and letter from F. J. Cohn, 31 December 1876 ). To Darwin’s …
- … horticulturists and agriculturists in France ( letter from E. M. Heckel, 27 December 1876 ). In …
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: 10 hits
- … and colonial authorities. In the nineteenth-century, letter writing was one of the most important …
- … the networks of others, such as Joseph Dalton Hooker and Asa Gray, who were at leading scientific …
- … in times of uncertainty, controversy, or personal loss. Letter writing was not only a means of …
- … contact. His correspondence with Joseph Hooker and Asa Gray illustrates how close personal ties …
- … The first is between Darwin and his friend Kew botanist J. D. Hooker. The second is between Darwin …
- … to Hooker “it is like confessing a murder”. Letter 736 — Darwin, C. R. to Hooker, J. D. …
- … species to wide-ranging genera. Darwin and Gray Letter 1674 — Darwin, C. R. …
- … Letter 1202 — Darwin, C. R. to Hooker, J. D., 6 Oct [1848] Darwin catches up on personal …
- … name to specific name. Letter 1220 — Hooker, J. D. to Darwin, C. R., 3 Feb 1849 In …
- … . Letter 4260a — Darwin, C. R. to Becker, L. E., 2 Aug [1863] Darwin thanks Lydia …
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: 17 hits
- … Erasmus’s life and other bits of family history. On 1 January , a distant cousin, Charles …
- … 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 ). …
- … a grievance to hang an article upon’ ( letter from W. E. Darwin, [28 January 1880] ). …
- … one or both to his daughter Henrietta ( letter to H. E. Litchfield, 1 February [1880] ). ‘The …
- … he will have the last word’, she warned ( letter from H. E. Litchfield, [1 February 1880] ). ‘He …
- … manroot). Darwin had raised the plant from seeds sent by Asa Gray in December 1879. His observations …
- … enemies.’ ‘Your letter … made me open my eyes’, Gray replied on 3 February , but he affirmed his …
- … and thus one looks to prevent its return’ ( letter from J.-H. Fabre, 18 February 1880 ). Darwin …
- … letting them out of their respective bags ( letter from G. J. Romanes, [6, 13, or 20] March 1881 ) …
- … received more attention than the baby!’ ( letter from G. J. Romanes, 17 December 1880 , and …
- … aided in any way direct attacks on religion’ ( letter to E. B. Aveling, 13 October 1880 ). Finally …
- … employment’ ( Correspondence vol. 27, letter from J. D. Hooker, 18 December 1879 ). For some …
- … & am never happy except when at work’ ( letter to J. M. Herbert, 25 December [1880] ). …
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: 18 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] …
- … letter to Smith, Elder & Co., 8 January 1874 , letter to J. D. Hooker, 8 January 1874 , and …
- … all the horrid bother of correction’ ( letter to H. E. Litchfield, 21 [March 1874] ). The book …
- … for misinterpreting Darwin on this point ( letter from J. D. Dana, 21 July 1874 ); however, he did …
- … Mivart (see Correspondence vol. 20, letter to St G. J. Mivart, 11 January [1872] ). To Darwin …
- … whether he was the author of the review ( see letter to J. D. Hooker, 14 December 1874 ). Huxley …
- … artificial gastric juice for about a week ( letter from E. E. Klein, 14 May 1874 ). John Burdon …
- … the man-eating tree of Madagascar Asa Gray publicised Darwin’s work on insectivorous …
- … it was a hoax till I came to the woman’ ( letter to Asa Gray, 3 June [1874] ). Response to …
- … F. S. B. François de Chaumont, 29 April 1874 ). Asa Gray forwarded a letter from the …
- … in bank with enormous tips to his ears ( letter from Asa Gray, 12 May 1874 ). The …
- … try to get it exhibited at a Royal Society of London soirée (see letter from Anton Dohrn, 6 April …
- … nephew, the fine-art specialist Henry Parker ( letter from E. A. Darwin, 17 [March 1874] ). He …
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: 17 hits
- … On 6 March 1868, Darwin wrote to the entomologist and accountant John Jenner Weir, ‘If …
- … The quantity of his correspondence increased dramatically in 1868; the increase was due largely to …
- … in satisfying female preference in the mating process. In a letter to Alfred Russel Wallace in 1864, …
- … and his immediate circle of friends and relations. In July 1868 Darwin was still anticipating that …
- … as well say, he would drink a little and not too much’ ( letter to Albert Günther, 15 May [1868] ) …
- … 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 ). …
- … if I try to read a few pages feel fairly nauseated’ ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 3 February [1868] ). …
- … of me. I feel convinced it is by Owen’. John Edward Gray, a colleague of Richard Owen’s in the …
- … a scamp & I begin to think a veritable ass’ ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 1 September [1868] ). …
- … information on colour changes in the canary (letters from J. J. Weir, [26] March 1868 and 3 …
- … added, ‘for it is clear that I have none’ ( letter to J. J. Weir, 30 May [1868] ). Sexual …
- … role of colour, sound, and smell in attracting females. J. J. Weir reported on 14 April 1868 …
- … and had himself watched elephants cry (letters to W. E. Darwin, [15 March 1868] and 8 April …
- … the theology favoured by some of his supporters, notably Asa Gray, seemed to render natural …
- … lines by God. Of Darwin’s discussion in Variation , Gray wrote on 25 May : ‘I found your … …
- … perfectly, & feel the weight of it.’ Some thought Gray’s position still a strong one. An …
Darwin in letters, 1867: A civilised dispute
Summary
Charles Darwin’s major achievement in 1867 was the completion of his large work, The variation of animals and plants under domestication (Variation). The importance of Darwin’s network of correspondents becomes vividly apparent in his work on expression in…
Matches: 25 hits
- … Charles Darwin’s major achievement in 1867 was the completion of his large work, The …
- … had been delivered to the publisher in the final week of 1866. It would take all of 1867 to correct …
- … selection in relation to sex ( Descent ), published in 1871, and the chapter on expression into …
- … in man and animals ( Expression ), published in 1872. Although Darwin had been collecting …
- … becomes vividly apparent in his work on expression in 1867, as he continued to circulate a list of …
- … transmutation theory. Three important new correspondents in 1867 were Hermann Müller and Anton Dohrn …
- … the New Year’s greeting, ‘may you be eupeptic through 1867 & your friends & the world in …
- … part of his long-delayed ‘big book’, started in January 1860, and advertised in the press since 1865 …
- … suppose abuse is as good as praise for selling a Book’ ( letter to John Murray, 31 January [1867] …
- … to the printer, but without the additional chapter. In a letter written on 8 February [1867] to …
- … books, Descent and Expression . In the same letter, Darwin revealed the conclusion to his …
- … variation of animals and plants under domestication . In a letter to his son William dated 27 …
- … of his brother’s embryological papers with his first letter to Darwin of 15 March 1867 , although …
- … . Indeed, he told his publisher, John Murray, in a letter of 4 April [1867] , not to send …
- … tell me, at what rate your work will be published’ ( letter from J. V. Carus, 5 April 1867 ). This …
- … & sent to him, he may wish to give up the task’ ( letter to Carl Vogt, 12 April [1867] ). …
- … fit person’ to introduce the work to the German public ( letter from J. V. Carus, 15 April 1867 ). …
- … translate my book in preference to you’ ( letter to J. V. Carus, 18 April [1867] ). Darwin was not …
- … Trail, 5 April 1867 ). Darwin told his American friend Asa Gray, ‘I am repeating this experiment on …
- … attack it & me with unparalleled ferocity’ ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 17 November [1867] ). …
- … queries to acquaintances in remote areas. On 26 March, Asa Gray wrote, ‘You see I have printed …
- … had read it and whether it was worth reading ( letter from J. D. Hooker, 4 February 1867 ). In a …
- … her, & as it seems very unjustly’ ( letter to W. E. Darwin, 27 [March 1867] ). Unfortunately, …
- … judgement he would subdue; that is yours’ ( letter from J. V. Carus, 5 April 1867 ). Darwin …
- … are excellent, excellent, excellent’ ( letter to H. E. Darwin, 26 July [1867] ). The year ended as …
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: 16 hits
- … & I am sick of correcting’ ( Correspondence vol. 16, letter to W. D. Fox, 12 December [1868 …
- … Well it is a beginning, & that is something’ ( letter to J. D. Hooker, [22 January 1869] ). …
- … made any blunders, as is very likely to be the case’ ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 13 January 1869 ). …
- … than I now see is possible or probable’ (see also letter to A. R. Wallace, 22 January [1869] , …
- … is strengthened by the facts in distribution’ ( letter to James Croll, 31 January [1869] ). Darwin …
- … tropical species using Croll’s theory. In the same letter to Croll, Darwin had expressed …
- … a very long period before the Cambrian formation’ ( letter to James Croll, 31 January [1869] …
- … data to go by, but don’t think we have got that yet’ ( letter from James Croll, 4 February 1869 ). …
- … I d have been less deferential towards [Thomson]’ ( letter to T. H. Huxley, 19 March [1869] ). …
- … completed revisions of the ‘everlasting old Origin’ ( letter to Asa Gray, 1 June [1869] ), he was …
- … males & females, cocks & hens.—’ ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 13 November [1869] ). Yet …
- … peoples in India and Africa. The American botanist Asa Gray and his wife, Jane Loring Gray , who …
- … & contempt—almost hatred—’ ( from Asa Gray and J. L. Gray, 8 and 9 May [1869] ). James …
- … [her] to translate “Domestic Animals”’ ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 19 November [1869] ). Angered by …
- … poured boiling oil over the bumptious man’ ( letter from J. D. Hooker, 7 September 1869 ). Huxley …
- … suggestions to its publisher, Macmillan ( letter from J. D. Hooker, 14 November 1869 ). Darwin …
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: 10 hits
- … expression. A number of handwritten copies were sent out in 1867 (see, for example, letter to …
- … Correspondence about Darwin’s Questionnaire (click on the letter dates to see the individual letters …
- … Correspondent Letter date Location …
- … Africa)? ] mentioned in JPM Weale letter, but Bowker's answers not found …
- … Woolston, Southampton, England letter to W.E. Darwin shrugging …
- … Square W London, England enclosed in a letter from Henry Maudsley …
- … South Africa possibly included in letter from Mansel Weale …
- … Peradeniya, Ceylon enclosed in letter from G.H.K. Thwaites …
- … Egypt] possibly included in letter(s) from Asa Gray Nile …
- … Lake Wellington, Australia letter to F.J.H. von Mueller nodding, …
New material added to the American edition of Origin
Summary
A ‘revised and augmented’ American edition of Origin came on the market in July 1860, and was the only authorised edition available in the US until 1873. It incorporated many of the changes Darwin made to the second English edition, but still contained…
Matches: 16 hits
- … to chapter 4 on ‘Natural selection’ ( ibid ., pp. 116*–121*) The final list of changes …
- … Soon after Origin was published, Darwin received a letter from Asa Gray offering to arrange an …
- … a share in possible profits. Darwin responded favourably to Gray’s proposal in his letter of 21 …
- … their heads that a species is an entity.—‘ After Gray had contacted the Boston publishing …
- … preparing for distribution. Acting on Darwin’s behalf, Gray duly contacted D. Appleton to inquire …
- … transmitting their response to Darwin (see letters from Asa Gray, [10 January 1860], [17 January …
- … had been fixed through the process of stereotyping (see letter from Asa Gray, 23 January [1860] and …
- … of the transmutation of species; Darwin sent this off to Gray enclosed in his letter of [8 or 9 …
- … (especially that given by Hewett Cottrell Watson in his letter of [3? January 1860]) that Darwin …
- … changes he intended to make in the American edition in the letter to Lyell, 18 [and 19 February 1860 …
- … corrected Second Edition with additional corrections” (letter to Asa Gray, 1 February [1860]). …
- … prejudices. In 1846, the veteran geologist, M. J. d’Omalius d’Halloz, published in an …
- … animaux sauvages démontre déjà la variabilité limitée des espèces. Les expériences sur les …
- … of finality, ‘‘puissance mystérieuse, indéterminée; fatalité pour les uns; pour les autres, volonté …
- … de l’existence du monde, la forme, le volume et la durée de chacun d’eux, en raison de sa destinée …
- … the world. Hooker has recently shown that in the S. E. corner of Australia, where apparently there …
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: 21 hits
- … ‘My career’, Darwin wrote towards the end of 1872, ‘is so nearly closed. . . What little more I can …
- … `big book’, Natural selection , begun in 1856. Coming hard on the heels of The descent of man …
- … anything more on 'so difficult a subject, as evolution’ ( letter to A. R. Wallace, 27 July …
- … 5s be better? . . . The public are accustomed to novels for 1s’, he wrote to Murray on 8 January …
- … 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 ) …
- … am made to appear’, complained Darwin ( letter to St G. J. Mivart, 5 January 1872 ). Piqued, …
- … `fundamental intellectual errors’ ( letter from St G. J. Mivart, 6 January 1872 ). Darwin …
- … to think he felt friendly towards me’ ( letter to St G. J. Mivart, 8 January [1872] ). Despite …
- … if only `in another world’ ( letter from St G. J. Mivart, 10 January 1872 ). Darwin, determined …
- … but asked Mivart not to acknowledge it ( letter to St G. J. Mivart, 11 January [1872] ). 'I …
- … selection is somewhat under a cloud’, he wrote to J. E. Taylor on 13 January , and he complained …
- … by her husband, Richard Buckley Litchfield ( letter to H. E. Litchfield, 13 May 1872 ). Delivery …
- … 'I know that I am half-killed myself’ ( letter to H. E. Litchfield, 25 July 1872 ). A …
- … a week later ( enclosure to letter from John Lubbock to W. E. Gladstone, 20 June 1872 ). Darwin …
- … subject which formerly interested me,’ Darwin wrote to Asa Gray at the beginning of the year; ' …
- … have worked out and published about Drosera & Dionæa’, Gray had replied on hearing of the …
- … than usual. One such old friend was Sarah Haliburton, née Owen, to whose sister, Fanny, Darwin had …
Darwin in letters, 1861: Gaining allies
Summary
The year 1861 marked an important change in the direction of Darwin’s work. He had weathered the storm that followed the publication of Origin, and felt cautiously optimistic about the ultimate acceptance of his ideas. The letters from this year provide an…
Matches: 23 hits
- … The year 1861 marked an important change in the direction of Darwin’s work. By then, …
- … of notes on variation at Down House. During the summer of 1860, he had become interested in …
- … , he had before thought were ‘unmeaning variability’ (p. 128). Darwin often expressed how much more …
- … . Having learned from his publisher John Murray in November 1860 that a new edition of Origin …
- … natural theology. He made arrangements with his friend Asa Gray to reprint and distribute in Britain …
- … will do me & Natural Selection, right good service’ ( letter to Asa Gray, 26–7 Februrary [1861] …
- … III). However, Darwin himself remained unconvinced by Gray’s suggestion that providence may have …
- … ‘barometer’ of scientific opinion, Charles Lyell ( see letter to Charles Lyell, 20 July [1861] ). …
- … selection could not be ‘directly proved’ ( see second letter to J. D. Hooker, 23 [April 1861] ). …
- … was ‘the only one proper to such a subject’ ( letter from Henry Fawcett, 16 July [1861] ). Mill in …
- … or against some view if it is to be of any service!’ ( letter to Henry Fawcett, 18 September [1861] …
- … chapter on the imperfection of the geological record ( see letter to George Maw, 19 July [1861] ). …
- … he planned to report ‘at a favourable opportunity’ ( letter from Joseph Leidy, 4 March [1861] ). …
- … laboratory where Nature manufactures her new species’ ( letter from H. W. Bates, 28 March [1861] ) …
- … believe a better man never walked this earth’ ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 18 [May 1861] ). Henslow …
- … intercrossing between distinct individuals. He told Gray that such cases could perhaps ‘throw some …
- … am not doing a foolish action in publishing’ ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 17 November [1861] ). …
- … would so ‘be at once an almost rich man’ ( letter to W. E. Darwin, [26 May 1861] ). The …
- … was thought to be ‘a form of typhus fever’ ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 11 May 1860 ). This hope was …
- … respectable persons on your own account’ ( letter to W. E. Darwin, 17 [October 1861] ). He also …
- … interesting’, Darwin told the Harvard botanist Asa Gray on 5 June, and added, despite the British …
- … or heard a soul who is not with the North’. Darwin and Gray both unreservedly supported the northern …
- … views and sentiments are perfectly satisfactory to me’, Gray wrote to Darwin on 31 December. …
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: 14 hits
- … Were women a target audience? Letter 2447 - Darwin to Murray, J., [5 April 1859] …
- … Tollet for proofreading and criticisms of style. Letter 2461 - Darwin to Hooker, J. …
- … proofread and edited by “a lady”. Darwin, E. to Darwin, W. E. , (March 1862 - DAR 219.1 …
- … 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 …
- … to women. Letter 8611 - Cupples, A. J. to Darwin, E., [8 November 1872] …
- … readership Letter 5391 - Becker, L. E. to Darwin, [6 February 1867] …
- … Society . Letter 6551 - Becker, L. E . to Darwin, [13 January 1869] …
- … with her father. Letter 7651 - Wedgwood, F. J. to Darwin, H. E., [1 April 1871] …
- … might be suitable. Letter 7411 - Pfeiffer, E. J. to Darwin, [before 26 April 1871] …
- … which must be altered”. Letter 5928 - Gray, A. to Darwin, [25 February 1868] …
Darwin in letters, 1856-1857: the 'Big Book'
Summary
In May 1856, Darwin began writing up his 'species sketch’ in earnest. During this period, his working life was completely dominated by the preparation of his 'Big Book', which was to be called Natural selection. Using letters are the main…
Matches: 12 hits
- … an illustration of how selection might work in nature ( letter from Charles Lyell, 1–2 May 1856, n. …
- … the real structure of varieties’, he remarked to Hooker ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 8 September [1856 …
- … ‘& I mean to make my Book as perfect as ever I can.’ ( letter to W. D. Fox, 8 February [1857] …
- … of the question. Did naturalised plants, he asked Asa Gray, vary in the United States ( letter to …
- … plants pretty effectually’ complained Darwin in 1857 ( letter to J. D. Hooker, [2 May 1857] ). …
- … John Lubbock that his method of calculation was wrong ( letter to John Lubbock, 14 July [1857] ). …
- … ‘Darwin, an absolute & eternal hermaphrodite’ ( letter to to T. H. Huxley, 1 July [1856] ), …
- … tend to show a separation of the sexes, a proposal that Asa Gray and Hooker confirmed during the …
- … which the bird had naturally eaten have grown well.’ ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 10 December [1856] …
- … he wrote to Syms Covington in New South Wales ( letter to Syms Covington, 9 March 1856 ). …
- … his work on species and the preparation of his manuscript ( letter to A. R. Wallace, 1 May 1857 ) …
- … to explain them in explicit detail in a long letter to Asa Gray ( letter to Asa Gray, 5 September …
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: 19 hits
- … from that of the five physicians Darwin had consulted in 1863. In a letter of 26[–7] March [1864] …
- … and he received more letters of advice from Jenner. In a letter of 15 December [1864] to the …
- … As Darwin explained to his cousin William Darwin Fox in a letter of 30 November [1864] , ‘the …
- … observations indoors ( Correspondence vol. 11). In a letter of [27 January 1864] , Darwin …
- … 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 …
- … result of a long series of changes . . .’ When he told Asa Gray in a letter of 29 October [1864] …
- … Menyanthes ( letter from Emma and Charles Darwin to W. E. Darwin, [20 May 1864] ), or his …
- … with his stipend being paid by Darwin himself ( letter to J. D. Hooker, [1 April 1864] ). …
- … enough to play your part over them’ ( letter from J. D. Hooker, [2 April 1864] ). …
- … … they do require very careful treatment’ ( letter from J. D. Hooker, 8 April 1864 ). Nevertheless …
- … that in giving I am hastening the fall’ ( letter from J. D. Hooker, 20 April 1864 ). In his …
- … a first-class cabin for the journey ( letter from J. D. Hooker, [15 August 1864] ). Darwin …
- … species. References and enclosures in letters from Gray and Hooker show how Darwin was able to …
- … activities of collectors and curators at a great distance. Gray forwarded a letter from Charles …
- … Testament’ ( Correspondence vol. 10, letter to Asa Gray, 6 November [1862] ). A declaration …
- … circulating with the 1864 subscription fund ( letter from E. A. Darwin, 1 February [1864] ). …
- … … & too light to turn into candlesticks’ ( letter from E. A. Darwin, 1 December 1864 ). …
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: 20 hits
- … his publishers, he warned that it was ‘dry as dust’ ( letter to R. F. Cooke, 9 September 1879 ). …
- … turned out, alas, very dull & has disappointed me much’ ( letter to Francis Galton, 15 [June …
- … home again’, he fretted, just days before his departure ( letter to W. T. Thiselton-Dyer, [after 26 …
- … many blessings, was finding old age ‘a dismal time’ ( letter to Henry Johnson, 24 September 1879 ) …
- … wrinkles one all over like a baked pear’ ( enclosure in letter from R. W. Dixon, 20 December 1879 …
- … itself, or gone some other way round?’ At least the last letter of 1879 contained a warmer note and …
- … office to complete Horace’s marriage settlement ( letter from W. M. Hacon, 31 December 1879 ). …
- … but they were ‘as nice and good as could be’ ( letter from Karl Beger, [ c. 12 February 1879] ) …
- … on your life’s work, which is crowned with glory’ ( letter from Ernst Haeckel, 9 February 1879 ). …
- … & would please Francis’, he pointed out ( letter from E. A. Darwin, 13 March [1879 ]). …
- … thought ‘perfect in every way’ ( letter from E. A. Wheler, 25 March 1879 ). She suggested that …
- … … neither cross nor ennuied’ (Emma Darwin to W. E. Darwin, [4 August 1879] (DAR 219.1: 125)). Darwin …
- … say that he has opposed it’ (letter from Emma Darwin to W. E. Darwin, [4 August 1879] (DAR 219.1: …
- … scarlet oak: ‘to be planted in my honour!’ ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 4 November [1879] ). While in …
- … it dominated the picture (letter from Emma Darwin to H. E. Litchfield, [17 July 1879] (DAR 219.9: …
- … & an evolutionist’, pointing to Charles Kingsley and Asa Gray as proof of this. ‘What my own …
- … knowledge—observation & experiment’ ( letter from J. F. Moulton, 10 December 1879 ). In reply …
- … image of the frog be published in Nature ( letter to J. N. Lockyer, 4 and 6 March [1879] ). …
- … men of science quarrelled (letter from Emma Darwin to W. E. Darwin, [6 September 1879] (DAR 219.1: …
- … and his family to the Riviera for the summer ( letter to G. J. Romanes, 23 July 1879 ). Allen, who …
