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Scientific Practice

Summary

Specialism|Experiment|Microscopes|Collecting|Theory Letter writing is often seen as a part of scientific communication, rather than as integral to knowledge making. This section shows how correspondence could help to shape the practice of science, from…

Matches: 14 hits

  • … the work of collecting, and the construction of theory. Darwin was not simply a gentleman naturalist …
  • … of the most advanced laboratory methods and equipment. Darwin used letters as a speculative space, …
  • … Specialism and Detail Darwin is usually thought of as a gentleman naturalist and a …
  • … across and drew together different fields of knowledge. But Darwin also made substantial …
  • … Letter 4895 — Darwin, C. R. to Müller, J. F. T., 20 Sept [1865] Darwin thanks Müller for …
  • … Letter 5551 — Darwin, C. R. to Müller, J. F. T., 26 May [1867] Darwin thanks Müller for …
  • … Letter 207 — Darwin, C. R. to Fox, W. D., 23 May 1833 Darwin tells Fox to buy a microscope. …
  • … full of observations on barnacles and he would like to meet Hooker in London. Letter 1166 …
  • … to J. F. W. Herschel, ed., Manual of scientific enquiry (1849)]. Letter 1167 — …
  • … result of applying it to cirripede sexual systems. He tells Hooker that he sent Owen an account of …
  • … 1262 — Darwin, C. R. to Hancock, Albany, [29–30 Oct 1849] Darwin thanks Hancock for specimens …
  • … Letter 1251 — Darwin, C. R. to Gould, A. A., 20 Aug [1849] Darwin thanks J. D. Dana for …
  • … Letter 1202 — Darwin, C. R. to Hooker, J. D., 6 Oct [1848] Darwin writes to Hooker about his …
  • … Letter 1220 — Hooker, J. D. to Darwin, C. R., 3 Feb 1849 Hooker sends Darwin “a yarn about …

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: 21 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
  • in her garden. Letter 4523 - Wedgwood, L. C. to Darwin, [6 June 1864] …
  • in South Africa. Letter 6736 - Gray, A. & J. L to Darwin, [8 & 9 May 1869] …
  • Egypt. Letter 7223 - Darwin to Wedgwood, L. C., [8 June 1867 - 72] Darwin
  • Henrietta. Letter 7179 - Wedgwood, L. C. to Darwin, [5 May 1870] …
  • of wormholes. Letter 8611 - Cupples, A. J. to Darwin, E., [8 November1872] …
  • Darwins behalf. Letter 8683 - Roberts, D. to Darwin, [17 December 1872] …
  • little treatise”. Letter 4436 - Darwin to Hooker, J. D., [26-27 March 1864] …
  • and orangs. Letter 5705 - Haast, J. F. J. von to Darwin, [4 December 1867] …
  • the wallpaper. Letter 5756 - Langton, E. & C. to Wedgwood S. E., [after 9
  • 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
  • at Maer Hall, Staffordshire. Letter 1219  - Hooker, J. D. to Darwin, [3 February
  • Letter 1701  - Morris, M. H. to Prior, R. C. A., [17 June 1855] Margaretta Hare Morris
  • The experiments were carried outat the suggestion of Dr Hookerand what little he has ascertained
  • Women: Letter 2345 - Darwin to Hooker, J. D., [20 October 1858] Darwin
  • style. Letter 2461  - Darwin to Hooker, J. D., [11 May 1859] Darwin

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: 8 hits

  • … activities for building and maintaining such connections. Darwin's networks extended from his …
  • … tapping into the networks of others, such as Joseph Dalton Hooker and Asa Gray, who were at leading …
  • … when strong institutional structures were largely absent. Darwin had a small circle of scientific …
  • … of face-to-face contact. His correspondence with Joseph Hooker and Asa Gray illustrates how close …
  • … section contains two sets of letters. The first is between Darwin and his friend Kew botanist J. D. …
  • Darwin and Gray Letter 1674 — Darwin, C. R. to Gray, Asa, 25 Apr [1855] Darwin …
  • … Letter 1220 — Hooker, J. D. to Darwin, C. R., 3 Feb 1849 In this gossipy letter, Hooker …
  • … Letter 1260 — Darwin, C. R. to Hooker, J. D., 12 Oct 1849 Darwin opens by discussing their …

Darwin’s reading notebooks

Summary

In April 1838, Darwin began recording the titles of books he had read and the books he wished to read in Notebook C (Notebooks, pp. 319–28). In 1839, these lists were copied and continued in separate notebooks. The first of these reading notebooks (DAR 119…

Matches: 29 hits

  • In April 1838, Darwin began recording the titles of books he had read and the books he wished to
  • … (DAR 119) opens with five pages of text copied from Notebook C and carries on through 1851; the
  • used these notebooks extensively in dating and annotating Darwins letters; the full transcript
  • … *128). For clarity, the transcript does not record Darwins alterations. The spelling and
  • book had been consulted. Those cases where it appears that Darwin made a genuine deletion have been
  • to be Read [DAR *119: Inside Front Cover] C. Darwin June 1 st . 1838
  • 4  [Pierquin de Gembloux 1839]. Said to be good by D r  L. Lindsay 5 [DAR *119: 1v. …
  • … [A. von Humboldt 1811] Richardsons Fauna Borealis [J. Richardson 182937] …
  • Brown 1814] & at the end of Congo voyage [R. Brown 1818]. (Hooker 923) 7  read
  • on Annals of Nat. Hist. [Jenyns 1838] Prichard; a 3 d . vol [Prichard 183647] Lawrence [W. …
  • Teneriffe. in Pers. Narr. [A. von Humboldt 181429] D r  Royle on Himmalaya types [Royle
  • … [DAR *119: 2v.] Whites regular gradation in man [C. White 1799] Lindleys
  • reference to authors about E. Indian Islands 8 consult D r  Horsfield [Horsfield 1824] …
  • sheep [Youatt 1831, 1834, 1837]. Verey Philosophie dHist. Nat. [Virey 1835] read
  • Paper on consciousness in brutes Blackwood June 1838 [J. F. Ferrie 1838]. H. C. Watson on
  • to White Nat. Hist of Selbourne [E. T. Bennett ed. 1837 and [J. Rennie] ed. 1833] read 19  : …
  • what have they written.? “Hunt” [J. Hunt 1806] p. 290
  • He is Horticulturist in France. Michaux, according to Hooker has written on topography of N. …
  • chiefly on distribution of forms said to be Poor Sir. J. Edwards Botanical Tour [?J. E. Smith
  • … ]. many very useful papers for me:— not in Hort. Soc. Hooker? Rogets Bridgewater Treatise
  • … —— Mauritius & C. of Good Hope Hooker recommends order [Backhouse
  • Decandolles Veg: Organ: } recommended by  Hooker . [A. P. de
  • Life of Wilkie [Cunningham 1843] & Chantry [G. Jones 1849]. Grotes History of Greece
  • Universelle ou traité des Cepages Comte Odart 1849” [Odart 1849] read  very good . Rivers
  • Nat. Hist. of Sutherlanshire, Murray [C. W. G. Saint-John 1849] (read) Knox. Ornithological
  • … [Fellows 1839] Catherine 48 Life of Collins R.A. [Collins 1848] Phases of Faith
  • 1848Memoirs of the life of William   Collins, Esq., R.A.  2 vols. London.  *119: 23; 119: …
  • by Richard Owen.  Vol. 4 of  The works of John Hunter, F.R.S. with notes . Edited by James F. …
  • Robert. 1843Memoirs of the life of John   Constable, R.A., composed chiefly of his letters. …

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: 19 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
  • 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
  • of natural selection to his friend, the botanist, Joseph D Hooker GRAY:   3   Charles
  • year 1839, and copied and communicated to Messrs Lyell and Hooker in 1844, being a part of
  • DARWIN:   7   January 1844. My dear Hooker. I have beenengaged in a very presumptuous work
  • the opportunity I enjoyed of making your acquaintance at Hookers three years ago; and besides that
  • sheet of note-paper! DARWIN11   My dear HookerWhat a remarkably nice and kind
  • 22   Hurrah I got yesterday my 41st Grass! Hooker is younger than Darwin and Gray by
  • species beforeDARWIN24   My dear Hookeryou cannot imagine how pleased I am
  • on your bowels of immutability. Darwin passes to Hooker a brace of letters 25
  • there is a little rap for you. GRAY:   26   Hooker [is] dreadfully paradoxical to
  • paragraph, in which I quote and differ from you[r178   doctrine that each variation has been
  • ARTS AND SCIENCES, PROCEEDINGS XVII, 1882 4  C DARWIN TO JD HOOKER 10 MAY 1848
  • C DARWIN, 1819 AUGUST 1862 149 C DARWIN TO J. D. HOOKER 26 JULY 1863 150

What is an experiment?

Summary

Darwin is not usually regarded as an experimenter, but rather as an astute observer and a grand theorist. His early career seems to confirm this. He began with detailed note-taking, collecting and cataloguing on the Beagle, and edited a descriptive zoology…

Matches: 22 hits

  • Darwin is not usually regarded as an experimenter, but rather as an astute
  • was of course kept secret and worked upon for decades, as Darwin collectedall kinds of facts’ …
  • and acquire specimens for his own use. A portrait of Darwin in 1849 shows him with a specimen
  • rather than experimentation. According to this view, Darwin was aphilosophical naturalistwhose
  • than morphological affinity. The two-fold division of Darwins science between observation
  • authorities who could do the more advanced work of theory. Darwin contributed to this movement, …
  • the large networks of institutional heads like Joseph Dalton Hooker and Asa Gray. Darwin adopted a
  • publications. The final picture that we then have of Darwin is that of a gentleman naturalist, able
  • a tradition on the wane, and it was gradually eclipsed in Darwins own lifetime by the more
  • is the sharp distinction between observation and theory. Darwin would be the first to defend the
  • with a curb on make far the best observers’ ( letter to C. H. L. Woodd , 4 March 1850 ). He made
  • there is no good & original observation’ ( letter to A. R. Wallace, 22 December 1857 ). Much
  • that were made to further substantiate evolutionary theory. Darwin was also greatly heartened by the
  • a highly controlled space with specialized equipment. In Darwins day this was by no means the case. …
  • sometimes to refer to naturally occurring phenomena. Darwin clearly regarded many of his domestic
  • miniature (small plots of land). Experimentation in Darwins day was not the monopoly of
  • and poultry fanciers, landowners, architects, and writers. Darwin sought the advice of an engineer
  • Scott). In his choice of correspondents and collaborators, Darwin valued patience, caution, and
  • and Michael Foster. A final feature to note about Darwins experimental life is the pleasure
  • have become very fond of little experiments’ ( letter to J. D. Hooker, [21 March 1857] ; letter
  • over time, detailed observation and experimental work became Darwins driving passion, his greatest
  • … … & am never happy except when at work’ ( letter to J. M. Herbert, 25 December [1880] ). …

Fool's experiments

Summary

‘I love fools' experiments. I am always making them’, was one of the most interesting things the zoologist E. Ray Lankester ever heard Darwin say. ‘A great deal might be written as comment on that statement’, Lankester later recorded, but he limited…

Matches: 21 hits

  • interesting things the zoologist E. Ray Lankester ever heard Darwin say. ‘A great deal might be
  • the dark into great discoveries.’ [1] What were Darwinsfoolsexperimentsand did they
  • great discoveries’? The fools experiment that Darwin had described to Lankester involved
  • see whether one would act in any way upon the other. [2]  Darwin could hardly have expected that
  • surprised by nature typified his fools experiments. While Darwin was cautious about speculation, he
  • knowledge that might be limited in some wayDarwins fools experiments, however, were more
  • or mysterious aspects of the natural world and were, for Darwin, a form of wishful thinking. When
  • shall not be disappointed .’ Nonetheless, he asked Hooker to indulge hismadnessand send him
  • those of the Polish botanist Theophil Ciesielski. Darwin wondered whether hot and dry radicles might
  • before proceeding to more complex explanations guided Darwins experimental practice in this case.  …
  • on etiolated leavesbut they would not turn white. ’ Darwin was delighted to hear thatSachs
  • the results of many fools experiments were negative, Darwins enthusiasm for them did not wane. …
  • investigators to undertake fools experimentsIn 1849, he dared do no more thanhinthis
  • of silk. While not labelling this a fools experiment, Darwin did admit that in theeyes of all
  • Hannays attempts to produce artificial diamonds in 1881, Darwin suggested a modification to the
  • of the carbon for diamonds in their natural place. ’ Darwin had long wishedthat some one w d
  • … ‘ side-resulthad emerged from a fools experiment Darwin carried out in June 1842. While
  • he hadplantedin 1842Unexpectedly, it was Darwins three-year old son William, whose early
  • meant that the record of the experiment ended up not in Darwins accounts of bees but in the
  • … (DAR 210.11: 37).  One of those children, Francis Darwin, when recalling Darwins love of
  • a wild experiment. ’   [1]  E. R. Lankester. 'Charles Robert Darwin' …