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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: 20 hits

  • On receiving a photograph from Charles Darwin, the American botanist Asa Gray wrote on 11 July
  • 52 hours without vomiting!! In the same month, Darwin began to consult William Jenner, …
  • prescribed a variety of antacids and purgatives, and limited Darwins 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
  • letters of advice from Jenner. In a letter of 15 December [1864] to the surgeon and naturalist
  • November and December were also marked by the award to Darwin of the Royal Societys Copley Medal; …
  • been unsuccessfully nominated the two previous years. As Darwin explained to his cousin William
  • …  five years earlier. His primary botanical preoccupation in 1864 was climbing plants. He had become
  • … ( Correspondence  vol. 11). In a letter of [27 January 1864] , Darwin wrote to Hooker: ‘The
  • …  produce tendrils’ ( letter to J. D. Hooker, [8 February 1864] ). Darwins excitement about his
  • … & therefore sacred’ ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 2 June [1864] ). When Darwin asked Oliver
  • light of axioms’ ( letter from Daniel Oliver, [17 March 1864] ). Though Darwin replied with his
  • … . . .’ When he told Asa Gray in a letter of 29 October [1864] that he was continuing to study
  • addition to his work on climbing plants, Darwin engaged in 1864 in botanical observations and
  • were produced. Continuing from these earlier studies, in 1864 he conducted crossing experiments
  • in causing sterility both within and between species in his 1864 paper, ‘Three forms of Lythrum
  • household news, were sometimes written by Darwins wife, Emma, or by Henrietta. Darwins own replies
  • case of Dimorphismin  Menyanthes  ( letter from Emma and Charles Darwin to W. E. Darwin, [20
  • he saw few people outside the family and, according to Emma Darwins diary and his ownJournal’, …

Darwin's health

Summary

On 28 March 1849, ten years before Origin was published, Darwin wrote to his good friend Joseph Hooker from Great Malvern in Worcestershire, where Dr James Manby Gully ran a fashionable water-cure establishment. Darwin apologised for his delayed reply to…

Matches: 18 hits

  • March 1849, ten years before  Origin  was published, Darwin wrote to his good friend Joseph Hooker
  • Manby Gully ran a fashionable water-cure establishment. Darwin apologised for his delayed reply to
  • See the letter At various periods in his life Darwin suffered from gastrointestinal
  • fatigue, trembling, faintness, and dizziness. In 1849, Darwins symptoms became so severe that he
  • for three months while he took Dr Gullys water cure. In Darwins letter to Hooker, he described Dr
  • See the letter After returning from Malvern, Darwin continued his hydropathic
  • 1863. In a letter to Hooker in April of 1861for example, Darwin used his delicate physiology to
  • Edward Wickstead Lane, and at Ilkley with Dr Edmund Smith, Darwin sought advice from his consulting
  • of a fashionable spinal ice treatment. In April 1864, Darwin attributed his improved health to Dr
  • gaining vigour .’ (letter to JDHooker, 13 April [1864] ) Why was Darwins so ill? …
  • vol. 12, letter to F. T. Buckland, 15 December [1864] ). On Darwins early stomach
  • vol. 4). Throughout the winter of 1863 and spring of 1864, he was sick almost daily (see
  • Chapman.  In a letter to J. D. Hooker, [20-] 22 February [1864] ( Correspondence vol. 12), …
  • 38, 47, 64). Fainting androckinghad been recorded in Emma Darwins diary (DAR 242) on several
  • Hooker, 1 June [1865] and 27 [or 28 September 1865] . Emma or another member of the household
  • alive’. See also Correspondence vol. 12, letter from Emma Darwin to J. D. Hooker, 17 March
  • October 1863 (see Correspondence vol. 11, letter from Emma Darwin to W. D. Fox, 8 December
  • doses of chalk, magnesia, and other antacids in March 1864 (see Emma Darwins diary, DAR 242, and n. …

'An Appeal' against animal cruelty

Summary

The four-page pamphlet transcribed below and entitled 'An Appeal', was composed jointly by Emma and Charles Darwin (see letter from Emma Darwin to W. D. Fox, [29 September 1863]). The pamphlet, which protested against the cruelty of steel vermin…

Matches: 11 hits

  • … below and entitled 'An Appeal', was composed jointly by Emma and Charles Darwin (see …
  • … of steel vermin-traps, was privately printed in July, and Emma organised the distribution of the …
  • … for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Annual Report, 1864, p. 32; Animal World , 1 February …
  • … distributing the 'cruelty pamphlet', and letter from Emma Darwin to W. D. Fox, 8 December …
  • … with the RSPCA; however, the RSPCA Annual Report for 1864 records that 'a benevolent lady, …
  • … the Royal Horticultural Gardens, South Kensington, in June 1864 ( The Times , 27 May 1864, p. 11, …
  • … paper Animal World , and prominently linked Charles Darwin"s name to the offer of a prize …
  • … had little direct effect (Moss 1961, pp. 146–7, Emma Darwin 2: 200). Although the RSPCA …
  • … were 'awakening to its barbarity' (RSPCA Annual Report 1864, p. 32), the use of the steel …
  • … than the possible alternatives (see letter from E. L. Darwin, 7 September 1863, letter from Emma
  • … payments being recorded from 1854 to 1861, in 1863 and 1864, from 1871 to 1875, and in 1878 and 1880 …

Darwin’s hothouse and lists of hothouse plants

Summary

Darwin became increasingly involved in botanical experiments in the years after the publication of Origin. The building of a small hothouse - a heated greenhouse - early in 1863  greatly increased the range of plants that he could keep for scientific…

Matches: 24 hits

  • Towards the end of 1862, Darwin resolved to build a small hothouse at Down House, forexperimental
  • hothouse early in 1863 marked something of a milestone in Darwins botanical work, since it greatly
  • …  vol5, letter to JD. Hooker, 19 April [1855] ). Darwin became increasingly involved in
  • Though his greenhouse was probably heated to some extent, Darwin found himself on several occasions
  • make observations and even experiments on his behalf. Darwins decision to build a hothouse
  • Hooker, 12 [December 1862] and n13). Initially, Darwin purchased for this purpose a glass
  • of 24 December [1862] ( Correspondence  vol10) Darwin told Hooker: I have
  • Encyclopedia of gardening  (Loudon 1835), a copy of which Darwin signed in 1841 (see the copy in
  • of heat’ (p1100). The latter was the sense in which Darwin used the word. The building of
  • accounts (Down House MS)). When it was completed, Darwin told Turnbull that without Horwoods aid he
  • … ). Even before work on the hothouse started, however, Darwin began making preparations to
  • plants’ (letter to JD. Hooker, 13 January [1863] ). Darwin apparently refers to the catalogues
  • whom he had dealt over many years. In his letter to Hooker, Darwin mentioned that he hoped to be
  • … (letter from JD. Hooker, [15 January 1863] ). Darwin agreed to send Hooker his list of
  • … (letter to JD. Hooker, 30 January [1863] ). Darwin probably gave his list of plants to
  • … [1863] ). On 20 February, the plants from Kew had arrived. Darwin was delighted, telling Hooker: ‘I
  • of moss, peat, and charcoal (see the letter from Henrietta Emma Darwin to William Erasmus Darwin, …
  • … (see letter from JD. Hooker, [6 March 1863] ). Darwin derived enormous pleasure from his
  • … (letter to JD. Hooker, 24[–5] February [1863] ). Darwins aesthetic appreciation of the
  • an important focus for his experiments. By the spring of 1864, he was thinking of expansion, telling
  • …  vol12, letter to JD. Hooker, 26[–7] March 1864 ). The plan was quickly set in motion, and
  • the work, while William Ledger did the building. By August 1864, he had spent £126 10s. on the new
  • was replaced after Darwins death, and one section of the 1864 greenhouse was subsequently
  • …  vol12, letter to JD. Hooker, [25 January 1864] ). In view of the importance of Darwin

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: 25 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. 8790, Darwin had briefly introduced the concept of
  • the mating process. In a letter to Alfred Russel Wallace in 1864, Darwin claimed that sexual
  • … (Correspondence vol. 12, letter to A. R. Wallace, 28 [May 1864] ). Darwins theory of
  • 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
  • which was devoted to sexual selection in the animal kingdom. Darwin described his thirst for
  • in January 1868. A final delay caused by the indexing gave Darwin much vexation. ‘My book is
  • 1867 and had expected to complete it in a fortnight. But at Darwins request, he modified his
  • the text. This increased the amount of work substantially. Darwin asked Murray to intervene, …
  • … … though it would be a great loss to the Book’. But Darwins angry letter to Murray crossed one from
  • blank’ ( letter from W. S. Dallas, 8 January 1868 ). Darwin sympathised, replying on 14 January
  • as stone, if it were not quite mollified by your note’. Darwin enclosed a cheque to Dallas for £55  …
  • and descent in the  Fortnightly Review , and asked Darwin for comments. Darwin was clearly
  • … ‘fast passing awaythat sparked the most discussion. Darwin wrote to Hooker on 23 February , …
  • authorship. John Murray thought it was by Gray himself, but Darwin corrected him: ‘D r  Gray would
  • of Science, Robertson published a rejoinder, arousing Darwins ire still further: ‘he is a scamp
  • all sorts of subjects In writing  Variation , Darwin had been careful to acknowledge
  • great influx of unsolicited letters from persons unknown to Darwin, offering additional facts that
  • 1868 . The letter was addressed tothe Rev d  C. Darwin M.d’; Binstead evidently assumed Darwin
  • at Cambridge, George Robert Crotch, writing to his mother Emma in a letter dated [after 16 October
  • and received a number of reports from family members. Emma Darwins niece, Cicely Mary Hawkshaw, …
  • old daughter Katherine ( letter from C. M. Hawkshaw to Emma Darwin, 9 February [1868] ). Darwins
  • other national papers, and within a few days Darwin and Emma were receiving letters of

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: 16 hits

  • … |  Editors and critics  |  Assistants Darwins correspondence helps bring to light a
  • community. Here is a selection of letters exchanged between Darwin and his workforce of women
  • Women: Letter 1194 - Darwin to Whitby, M. A. T., [12 August 1849] Darwin
  • peculiarities in inheritance. Letter 3787 - Darwin, H. E. to Darwin, [29 October
  • garden. Letter 4523 - Wedgwood, L. C. to Darwin, [6 June 1864] Darwins
  • … . Letter 5745 - Barber, M. E. to Darwin, [after February 1867] Mary Barber
  • Letter 6535 - Vaughan Williams , M. S. to Darwin, H. E., [after 14 October 1869] …
  • her observations on the expression of emotion in dogs with Emma Darwin. Letter 8676
  • Letter 4436 - Darwin to Hooker, J. D., [26-27 March 1864] Darwin thanks Hooker for
  • 1868] Darwins nephew, Edmund, writes to Emma Darwins sister, Sarah, with observations of
  • Darwins nephews, Edmund and Charles, write to Emma Darwins sister, Sarah, with observations of
  • Wedgwood, S. E. & J. to Darwin, [10 November 1837] Emmas sister, Sarah, passes on
  • …  - Wright, Charles to Gray, A., [20, 25, 26 March & 1 April 1864] Charles Wright tells
  • E. to Darwin, W. E., [January 23rd 1887]: Emma Darwin tells her eldest son, William, …
  • E. to Darwin, W. E. , (March, 1862 - DAR 219.1:49) Emma Darwin updates her son, William, …
  • is a great critic”, thought the article worth reprinting, Emma was less convinced. Letter

Evolution: Selected Letters of Charles Darwin 1860-1870

Summary

This selection of Charles Darwin’s letters includes correspondence with his friends and scientific colleagues around the world; letters by the critics who tried to stamp out his ideas, and by admirers who helped them to spread. It takes up the story of…

Matches: 13 hits

  • This selection of Charles Darwins letters includes correspondence with his friends and scientific
  • admirers who helped them to spread. It takes up the story of Darwins life in 1860, in the immediate
  • of publication of Descent of Man in 1871. In this period Darwin became a public figure, and the
  • increased accordingly. Letters conveyed public reaction to Darwin, as people who were often complete
  • worked up, or their religious doubts and concerns for Darwins own soul. Darwin himself used letters
  • world a questionnaire on the expression of the emotions. Darwin also continued to confide in his
  • yet been pointed out to me. No doubt many will be. Darwin to Huxley, 1860. …
  • when I know you have been miserably uncomfortable. Emma to Charles Darwin, 1861. …
  • gravitating towards your doctrinesHuxley to Darwin, 1862. I cannot bear
  • what you think about the derivation of SpeciesDarwin to Charles Lyell, 1863. …
  • fairly settled & succeeding in India. John Scott to Darwin, 1864. I
  • was quite out of balance once during our voyageDarwin to Hooker (on hearing of Robert
  • that the necks of your horses are badly galledDarwin to a local landowner, 1866. …

Dramatisation script

Summary

Re: Design – Adaptation of the Correspondence of Charles Darwin, Asa Gray and others… by Craig Baxter – as performed 25 March 2007

Matches: 21 hits

  • Re: DesignAdaptation of the Correspondence of Charles Darwin, Asa Gray and othersby Craig
  • as the creator of this dramatisation, and that of the Darwin Correspondence Project to be identified
  • correspondence or published writings of Asa Gray, Charles Darwin, Joseph Dalton Hooker, Jane Loring
  • Actor 1Asa Gray Actor 2Charles Darwin Actor 3In the dress of a modern day
  • Louis Agassiz, Adam Sedgwick, A Friend of John Stuart Mill, Emma Darwin, Horace Darwinand acts as
  • the play unfolds and acting as a go-between between Gray and Darwin, and between the audience and
  • this, he sends out copies of his Review of the Life of Darwin. At this time in his life, Asa
  • friends in England, copies of hisReview of the Life of Darwin’… pencilling the address so that it
  • Joseph D Hooker GRAY:   3   Charles Darwinmade his home on the border of the little
  • are kept in check by a constitutional weakness. DARWIN: A plain but comfortable brick
  • by every blessing except that of vigorous healthDARWIN4   My confounded stomach
  • pursuits and the simplicity of his character. DARWIN:   5   I am allowed to work now
  • own house, where he was the most charming of hosts. DARWIN:   6   My life goes on
  • being a part of [an unpublished] manuscript. Darwin settles down to write. His tone is
  • THE CONCURRENCE OF BOTANISTS: 1855 In which Darwin initiates a long-running correspondence
  • gossip about difficult colleagues (Agassiz). Gray realizes Darwin is not revealing all of his
  • Thank God he will never suffer more in this world. Poor Emma behaved nobly and how she stood it all
  • DARWINMy wifes remark on reading this, was EMMA: Why, you know nothing about Logic. …
  • Civil War. DARWIN157   February 1864My dear Gray. It is now six months since I
  • 1863 157  C DARWIN TO A GRAY 25 FEBRUARY 1864 158 C DARWIN TO A GRAY 28
  • 27 OCTOBER 1862 168  TO ASA GRAY 29 OCTOBER 1864 169 FROM ASA GRAY 5

Natural Science and Femininity

Summary

Discussion Questions|Letters A conflation of masculine intellect and feminine thoughts, habits and feelings, male naturalists like Darwin inhabited an uncertain gendered identity. Working from the private domestic comfort of their homes and exercising…

Matches: 13 hits

  • thoughts, habits and feelings, male naturalists like Darwin inhabited an uncertain gendered identity
  • feminine powers of feeling and aesthetic appreciation, Darwin and his male colleagues struggled to
  • Letters Letter 109 - Wedgwood, J. to Darwin, R. W., [31 August 1831] Darwin
  • professional work on his return. Letter 158 - Darwin to Darwin, R. W., [8 & 26
  • and taking in the aesthetic beauty of the world around him. Darwin describes thestrikingcolour
  • made up of meals, family time and walks into town with Emma. Letter 555 - Darwin to
  • an Infant ’. Letter 2781 - Doubleday, H. to Darwin, [3 May 1860] Doubleday
  • borders of his garden. Letter 2864 - Darwin to Hooker, J. D., [12 July 1860] …
  • saw anything so beautiful”. Letter 4230 - Darwin to GardenersChronicle, [2 July 1863] …
  • Letter 4436 - Darwin to Hooker, J. D., [26-27 March 1864] Darwin thanks Hooker for
  • Letter 4469 - Hooker, J. D. to Darwin, [20 April 1864] Hooker discusses the scientific
  • Letter 4472 - Hooker, J. D. to Darwin, [26 or 27 April 1864] Hooker once again discusses
  • November 1868] Darwins nephew, Edmund, writes to Emma Darwins sister, Sarah, with

What did Darwin believe?

Summary

What did Darwin really believe about God? the Christian revelation? the implications of his theory of evolution for religious faith? These questions were asked again and again in the years following the publication of Origin of species (1859). They are…

Matches: 25 hits

  • What did Darwin really believe about God? the Christian revelation? the implications of
  • rhetoric of crusading secularists, many of whom take Darwin as an icon. But Darwin was very
  • Letters became an important medium through which Darwins readers sought to draw him out on matters
  • the religious implications of his work. Letters written to Darwin by persons unknown to him became
  • own. Mary Booles letter In December 1866 Darwin received a letter from Mary Boole, a
  • after her husband, the mathematician George Boole, died in 1864. Dear Sir Will you
  • See the letter Boole, like a number of Darwins readers, found a way of reconciling the
  • with some form of religious belief. But when Boole asks Darwin about specific points of belief, such
  • See the letter In his response to Boole, Darwin implies that certain questions are beyond
  • Science, or by the so calledinner consciousness”’. Darwin does not dismiss different forms of
  • into such territory in this letter to a stranger. Emma Darwin In what is
  • mind. See the letter In this letter, Darwin is quite clear that he has never
  • he says, is often in a state of flux. What did Darwin mean by the termagnostic”? The word
  • about questions such as the existence and nature of God. For Darwin, it also seems to imply that
  • matters many years earlier with his cousin and fiancée, Emma Wedgewood. In their correspondence, …
  • but we gain a sense of what the couple discussed from Emmas words to him: My reason
  • It is clear from other correspondence that one of Emmas most cherished beliefs was in an afterlife. …
  • she means so in eternity. There is a marked tension in Emmas letter between reason and feeling, and
  • to himself, and allowed his differences of belief with Emma to remain for the most part submerged. …
  • members of the Darwin family, offer a fuller perspective on Emmas religious beliefs. The documents
  • over Scriptural or doctrinal authority, as a foundation for Emmas views. They also show that Emmas
  • Josiah Wedgwood, who was grandfather to both Charles and Emma, was a Unitarian, and this religious
  • Unitarian school in Shrewsbury. The circle with whom he and Emma socialised when in London included
  • were regular guests of Darwins brother Erasmus, and of Emmas brother, Hensleigh Wedgwood and his
  • liturgy. But we know, from Francis Darwins comments, that Emma used to make the family turn round

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: 15 hits

  • activities for building and maintaining such connections. Darwin's networks extended from his
  • when strong institutional structures were largely absent. Darwin had a small circle of scientific
  • section contains two sets of letters. The first is between Darwin and his friend Kew botanist J. D. …
  • about Hookers thoughts. Letter 729Darwin, C. R. to Hooker, J. D., [11 Jan 1844] …
  • is like confessing a murder”. Letter 736Darwin, C. R. to Hooker, J. D., 23 Feb [1844
  • of wide-ranging species to wide-ranging genera. Darwin and Gray Letter 1674
  • of the species. Letter 1685Gray, Asa to Darwin, C. R., 22 May 1855 Gray
  • of alpine flora in the USA. Letter 2125Darwin, C. R. to Gray, Asa, 20 July [1857] …
  • Letter 4463Scott, John to Darwin, C. R., 14 Apr [1864] Scott thanks Darwin for his
  • Letter 4468Darwin, C. R. to Hooker, J. D., 19 [Apr 1864] Darwin makes another plea to his
  • Letter 4469Hooker, J. D. to Darwin, C. R., 20 Apr 1864 Hooker again refuses to help Scott, …
  • Letter 4471Darwin, C. R. to Hooker, J. D., 25 Apr [1864] Darwin thinks his friend Kew
  • Letter 4611Darwin, C. R. to Gray, Asa, 13 Sept [1864] Darwin sends abstract of John Scott
  • Letter 4441Becker, Lydia to Darwin, C. R., 30 Mar 1864 Becker sends Darwin a copy of her
  • Letter 1176Darwin, C. R. to Darwin, Emma, [201 May 1848] Darwin writes to his wife Emma. …

Darwin and Fatherhood

Summary

Charles Darwin married Emma Wedgwood in 1839 and over the next seventeen years the couple had ten children. It is often assumed that Darwin was an exceptional Victorian father. But how extraordinary was he? The Correspondence Project allows an unusually…

Matches: 15 hits

  • Charles Darwin married Emma Wedgwood in 1839 and over the next seventeen years the couple had ten
  • an unusually large number of letters sent by members of the Darwin family to be studied. However, in
  • required them to work long hours away from their family. Darwin was unusual in being able to pursue
  • this part of Kent asextraordinarily rural & quiet’ (Darwin to his sister Catherine,  [24 July
  • left their children in the care of servants in the country. Darwin frequently expressed regrets that
  • meetings and social events in the capital. As a result, Darwin rarely spent a day without the
  • they employed eight servants including two nursery maids. Emma actively supervised and assisted with
  • … ‘visitsto see their father when he was working (Darwin to his wife Emma,  [7-8 February 1845] ). …
  • childrens development in diaries and letters. However, Darwin was unusual for the systematic
  • was far more typical of mid-nineteenth-century fathers was Darwins intense involvement in his
  • to incessant anxiety & movement on account of Etty.’ (Darwin to W. D. Fox18 October [1860] …
  • daughter reveal (J. D. Hooker to Darwin16 September 1864 ). In addition to his fears for
  • … (Darwin to W. D. Fox10 October [1850] ) as he and Emma tried to choose suitable schools and
  • children in letters to friends, and the choices that he and Emma made were deliberately conventional
  • the age of twenty-six. This meant that in old age Darwin and Emma continued to share Down House with

Darwin's notes for his physician, 1865

Summary

On 20 May 1865, Emma Darwin recorded in her diary that John Chapman, a prominent London publisher who had studied medicine in London and Paris in the early 1840s, visited Down to consult with Darwin about his ill health. In 1863 Chapman started to treat…

Matches: 9 hits

  • On 20 May 1865, Emma Darwin recorded in her diary that John Chapman, a prominent London
  • and Paris in the early 1840s, visited Down to consult with Darwin about his ill health. In 1863
  • Chapman wasnt the first medical practitioner Darwin contacted around this timeIn 1863, Darwin
  • more attacks of vomiting and seeking another opinion, Darwin wrote to ChapmanOn the day that
  • adult life (the section, ‘I feel nearlyfood’, is in Emma Darwins hand). Darwin began the
  • given up the treatment (see letter from Charles and Emma Darwin to J. D. Hooker, [10 July 1865]). …
  • Busk, 28 April 1865). In November and December 1863, Darwin had consulted the stomach
  • Correspondence vol. 12, letter to J. D. Hooker, 13 April [1864], letter from William Jenner to
  • Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library, Darwin Evolution Collection (3314) and is

Science: A Man’s World?

Summary

Discussion Questions|Letters Darwin's correspondence show that many nineteenth-century women participated in the world of science, be it as experimenters, observers, editors, critics, producers, or consumers. Despite this, much of the…

Matches: 12 hits

  • Discussion Questions | Letters Darwin's correspondence show that many nineteenth
  • Letters Darwins Notes On Marriage [April - July 1838] In these notes, …
  • of family, home and sociability. Letter 489 - Darwin to Wedgwood, E., [20 January 1839] …
  • theories, & accumulating facts in silence & solitude”. Darwin also comments that he has
  • Letter 3715 - Claparède, J. L. R. A. E. to Darwin, [6 September 1862] Claparède
  • are not those of her sex”. Letter 4038 - Darwin to Lyell, C., [12-13 March 1863] …
  • critic”. Letter 4377 - Haeckel, E. P. A. to Darwin, [2 January 1864] Haeckel
  • works”. Letter 4441 - Becker, L. E. to Darwin, [30 March 1864] Lydia Becker
  • of physiology at Bedford College for girls. Appealing to Emmasfeminine sympathies”, Cresy is keen
  • masculine nor pedantic”. Letter 6976 - Darwin to Blackwell, A. B., [8 November 1869] …
  • … , (1829). Letter 7329 - Murray, J. to Darwin, [28 September 1870] Written
  • them ears”. Letter 8055 - Hennell, S. S. to Darwin, [7 November 1871] Sarah

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: 20 hits

  • of whom took immediate action to mediate a solution. Charles Darwin had close ties with both men and
  • …  In the concluding paragraphs of Origin , Darwin had predicted that arevolution in natural
  • Thomas Henry Huxley, Busk, and several other supporters of Darwin in editing the Natural History
  • and Scotland (Lubbock 1862a, 1862b, and 1863a). In the July 1864 issue of Natural History Review
  • address for the British Association meeting at Bath in 1864 (C. Lyell 1864). 3  By
  • aspects of the book. Throughout the first half of 1863, Darwin discussed the book in correspondence
  • spoke out publicly about any controversial aspect.  Darwins chief complaint about the book
  • he thought aboutthe derivation of Species’. 8 Darwin continued to feel aggrieved about
  • to the Athenæum . 9  In the same letter, Darwin touched on an area of public
  • accusation, which had just appeared in the Athenæum . Darwin had not advised Falconer personally, …
  • 11 In the same review Lubbock expressed publicly what Darwin had said privately; that is, that
  • given thatthe whole tenor of his argumentsupported Darwins theory ([Lubbock] 1863b, p. 213). …
  • of all three letters to a number of friends, including Darwin. 22 Just before he
  • who had also been sent copies of the letters, wrote to Darwin to ask what he thought of the affair ( …
  • 3. Letters from Charles Lyell to John Lubbock, 22 February 1864 and 24 February 1864 (British
  • 12. Letter from Hugh Falconer to John Lubbock, 24 May [1864], in (British Library, Add. MSS 49640) …
  • Hooker, [31 May 1865] and n. 1. 23. Letter from Emma Darwin to Henrietta Emma Darwin, …
  • and gentlemen in the formation of the X Club, 18511864Isis  89: 41044. Bynum, William
  • History Review  n.s. 3: 21119. Lubbock, John. 1864. Cave-menNatural History Review  n
  • revised. London: John Murray. Lyell, Charles. 1864. Presidential addressReport of the

Darwin in letters, 1865: Delays and disappointments

Summary

The year was marked by three deaths of personal significance to Darwin: Hugh Falconer, a friend and supporter; Robert FitzRoy, captain of the Beagle; and William Jackson Hooker, director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, and father of Darwin’s friend…

Matches: 17 hits

  • In 1865, the chief work on Charles Darwins mind was the writing of  The variation of animals and
  • letters on climbing plants to make another paper. Darwin also submitted a manuscript of his
  • protégé, John Scott, who was now working in India. Darwins transmutation theory continued to
  • Argyll, appeared in the religious weeklyGood Words . Darwin received news of an exchange of
  • Butler, and, according to Butler, the bishop of Wellington. Darwins theory was discussed at an
  • in the  GardenersChronicleAt the end of the year, Darwin was elected an honorary member of
  • year was marked by three deaths of personal significance to Darwin: Hugh Falconer, a friend of
  • in August. There was also a serious dispute between two of Darwins friends, John Lubbock and
  • jolly’ ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 7 January [1865] ). Darwin was ready to submit his paper on
  • a sudden illness. Falconer was 56, almost the same age as Darwin himself. Falconer had seconded
  • to CDs theory of transmutation, in or before November 1864 ( Correspondence vol. 12, letter to
  • … ), and wrote up his results on his voyage to India in late 1864, despite suffering from sea-sickness
  • in learned societies and in the popular press. In December 1864, George Douglas Campbell, the duke
  • this and that modification of structure’ (G. D. Campbell 1864, pp. 2756). Campbell argued further
  • attending school, and spent some time travelling in Europe (Emma Darwins diary (DAR 242),  Emma
  • people werent so foolish’;. In November, Darwin and Emma visited Erasmus in London ( …
  • frequently, and Hooker also came for a short stay in March (Emma Darwins diary, DAR 242). A

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: 27 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
  • of his scientific friends quickly organised a campaign for Darwin to have greater public recognition
  • Botanical observation and experiment had long been Darwins greatest scientific pleasure. The year
  • to Fritz Müller, 4 January 1882 ). These were topics that Darwin had been investigating for years, …
  • 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’. Darwins interest in root response and the
  • London on 6 and 16 March, respectively. In January, Darwin corresponded with George John
  • letter from Arthur de Souza Corrêa, 28 December 1881 ). Darwin had a long-running interest in such
  • experiments had been conducted to lend support to Darwins theory of pangenesis (see
  • He was eager to write up the results on Brazilian cane, with Darwin providing a detailed outline: ‘I
  • at the Linnean Society on 4 May, but not published. Darwin carried on with botanical work in
  • which are asymmetric, thus facilitating cross-fertilisation. Darwins aim, he said, was just to
  • 3 April 1882 ). Earthworms and evolution Darwins last book, Earthworms , had been
  • and was no longer able to take his daily strolls (Henrietta Emma Litchfield, ‘Charles Darwins death
  • E. Litchfield to G. H. Darwin, 17 March 1882 (DAR 245: 319)) Emma wrote ten days later: ‘You will
  • been a good deal plagued with dull aching in the chest’ (Emma Darwin to G. H. Darwin, [ c . 28
  • benefit & he escaped pain entirely yesterday’ (letter from Emma Darwin to G. H. Darwin, 6 April
  • wrote to George, who had visited Down on 11 April (Emma Darwins diary (DAR 242)). ‘Father was taken
  • H. Darwin, [19 April 1882] (DAR 245: 320)). It was left to Emma to convey the sorrowful news to his
  • which I hope were never very violent’ ( letter from Emma Darwin to J. D. Hooker, [20 April 1882
  • have possessed & have been able to be to him’ (letter from Emma Darwin to Leonard Darwin, [21? …
  • they were the most overflowing in tenderness’ (letter from Emma Darwin to W. E. Darwin, 10 May 1882
  • was eagerly awaited by his family, including his cousin Emma Wedgwood. In long letters to her sister
  • plied him with questions without any mercy’ ( letter from Emma Wedgwood to F. E. E. Wedgwood, [28
  • able to work’ ( letter to A. R. Wallace, [ c . 10 April 1864] ). To the physician Henry Holland, …
  • History every day’ ( letter to Henry Holland, 6 November [1864] ). Writing to the clergyman and

Fake Darwin: myths and misconceptions

Summary

Many myths have persisted about Darwin's life and work. Here are a few of the more pervasive ones, with full debunking below...

Matches: 1 hits

  • … Many myths have persisted about Darwin's life and work. Here are a few of the more pervasive …

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: 13 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, …
  • … second is a single letter from naturalist A. R. Wallace to Darwin on design and natural selection. …
  • … of each fragment at the base of my precipice”. Darwin and Wallace Letter 5140 …
  • … fittest” instead of “Natural Selection”. Wallace urges Darwin to stress frequency of variations. …
  • … of his own family. Letter 441 — Wedgwood, Emma to Darwin, C. R., [21–22 Nov 1838] …
  • … conscientious doubts”. Letter 471 — Darwin, Emma to Darwin, C. R., [c. Feb 1839] …
  • … of Argyll’s address to the Royal Society of Edinburgh (1864), Darwin used birds, flowers and …
  • … of Argyll’s address [to the Royal Society of Edinburgh (1864)] on beauty and sexual selection. He …

Expression

Summary

Darwin's interest in emotional expression can be traced as far back as the Beagle voyage. He was fascinated by the different sounds and gestures among the peoples of Tierra del Fuego, and on his return from the voyage he started recording observations…

Matches: 28 hits

  • Darwin's interest in emotional expression can be traced as far back as the …
  • … and sympathy, comparing the behaviour of humans and animals. Darwin's work on expression was …
  • … in 1872, it had been over thirty years in gestation. Darwin sometimes referred to expression …
  • … the project to a conclusion. At a particularly low point in 1864, he even offered all his material …
  • … more that I shd like to write but I have not strength '. Darwin persevered, however. He …
  • … to two volumes, and then so did Descent . By 1870, Darwin had amassed so much material that it …
  • … his marriage, he shared his interest in expression with Emma (then his fiancée), and asked her to …
  • … and their communications were often addressed either to Emma or her eldest daughter . 'I am …
  • … to comfort him '. Unlike the many men who contributed to Darwin's research, and whose …
  • … by name. While he was observing his children at home, Darwin was also studying expression in …
  • … out & purr '. Observations extended to caged creatures. Darwin requested his niece Lucy …
  • … make it scream without hurting it much? ' When in London, Darwin sometimes went to the zoo …
  • … of the oddest ever asked '. Another main object of Darwin's investigation was …
  • … and shake their heads horizontally to express dissent? '. Darwin continued to refine his …
  • … were able to distribute additional copies locally, so that Darwin's questionnaire reached …
  • … North and South America, and South Africa. Despite Darwin's precisely worded questions, …
  • … me more as the snarling contentions of cowardly dogs '. Darwin received one response from a …
  • … Gaika's replies, written out in English, so impressed Darwin that he remarked to his colonial …
  • … a truly wonderful fact in the progress of civilization '. Darwin's outlook was …
  • … the worse servant he is. ' Most of the overt racism of Darwin's correspondents was passed …
  • … between peoples were also erased. Such exclusions allowed Darwin to conclude more readily that …
  • … ancestral species. Another class of subjects whom Darwin thought were particularly important …
  • … the well-known alienist Henry Maudsley who forwarded Darwin's queries to his friend, James …
  • … to that of some animals when under threat . For Browne, Darwin's letters and the opportunity …
  • … '. On learning of Browne's interest in photography, Darwin lent him another set of …
  • … than the often exaggerated depictions of artists. When Darwin requested permission to use some of …
  • … men of science the question of money cannot exist .'  Darwin was extremely interested in …
  • … states, to explain expression. This was consistent with Darwin's theory that emotional response …
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