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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: 26 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
  • observations of catsinstinctive behaviour. Letter 4258 - Becker, L. E. to Darwin, …
  • to artificially fertilise plants in her garden. Letter 4523 - Wedgwood, L. C. to
  • be made on seeds of Pulmonaria officinalis . Letter 5745 - Barber, M. E. to
  • Expression from her home in South Africa. Letter 6736 - Gray, A. & J. L
  • Expression during a trip to Egypt. Letter 7223 - Darwin to Wedgwood, L. C., …
  • birds. Letter 5817 - Darwin to Huxley, T. H., [30 January 1868] Darwin
  • Letter 6535 - Vaughan Williams , M. S. to Darwin, H. E., [after 14 October 1869] …
  • nieces ears. Letter 8701 - Lubbock, E. F . to Darwin, [1873] Ellen
  • patience”. Letter 4242 - Hildebrand, F. H. G. to Darwin, [16 July 1863] …
  • and orangs. Letter 5705 - Haast, J. F. J. von to Darwin, [4 December 1867] …
  • 6453 - Langton, E. to Wedgwood, S. E., [9 November 1868] Darwins nephew, Edmund, …
  • … - Langton, E. & C. to Wedgwood S. E., [after 9 November 1868] Darwins nephews, Edmund
  • Women: Letter 1701 - Morris, M. H. to Prior, R. C. A., [17 June 1855] …
  • Letter 4823  - Wedgwood, L. C. to Darwin, H. E., [May 1865] Darwins niece, Lucy, …
  • Leith Hill Place. Letter 6139  - Doubleday, H. to Darwin, [22 April 1868] …
  • to look for more samples. Letter 4928  - Henslow, G. to Darwin, [11 November 1865] …
  • in Margate. Letter 7433  - WedgwoodF. to Darwin, [9 January 1871] …
  • Letter 2055  - Langton, E. to Darwin,  F., [21 February 1857] Darwins nephew, …
  • suggestion. Letter 5254  - Hildebrand, F. H. G. to Darwin, [23 October 1866] …
  • Letter 6046  - Weir, J. J. to Darwin, [24 March 1868] John Weir describes experiments
  • Letter 6083  - Casparay, J. X. R. to Darwin, [2 April 1868] Casparay details his
  • Letter 6139  - Doubleday, H. to Darwin, [22 April 1868] Naturalist Henry Doubleday
  • home. Letter 10517  - Darwin to Francis, F., [29 May 1876] Darwin gives his
  • Men: Letter 378  - Darwin to Henslow, J. S., [20 September 1837] Darwin

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: 16 hits

  • to produce capsules’ ( To Fritz Müller, 30 January [1868] ). Müller, in turn, sent seeds from his
  • 17 March [1867] ). He noted another factor in a letter to Gray, remarking, ‘I am going on with my
  • produced by the former ( From Robert Caspary, 18 February 1868 ). Darwin eagerly requested seed
  • their power of growth’ ( To Robert Caspary, 25 February [1868] ).  By this time he had already
  • … (Variation 2: 128-9), which was published on 30 January 1868. In April 1868, Darwin informed
  • quite intelligible to me’ ( To George Bentham, 22 April 1868 ). A month later, he had another set
  • taken from the same plant!’ ( To JDHooker, 21 May [1868] ) Pollen tubes, or rapidly elongating
  • relationship had lessened the fertility of the offspring (F. Müller 1868b, p. 629). Darwin urged
  • he told Müller ( To Fritz Müller, 28 November 1868 ). In March 1869, Müller reported results of
  • … [1873] ). In September, Darwin wrote a long letter to Nature commenting on a seemingly
  • excess of the crossed over the self-fertilised’ ( To GHDarwin, 8 January [1876] ). George
  • for the moment that all of equal value.’ ( From GHDarwin, [after 8 January 1876] ). It was his
  • the set of all my works, I would suggest 1,500’ ( To R. F. Cooke, 16 September 1876 ). In the
  • ARWallace, 13 December 1876 ). No reply to this letter has been found, but Darwin had long
  • reviews that appeared were also positive, but George Henslow, in his review in Gardeners’ …
  • 1877, the edition wasnearly exhausted’ ( From R. F. Cooke, 16 March 1877 ). In November 1877, …

Darwin in letters, 1860: Answering critics

Summary

On 7 January 1860, John Murray published the second edition of Darwin’s Origin of species, printing off another 3000 copies to satisfy the demands of an audience that surprised both the publisher and the author. It wasn't long, however, before ‘the…

Matches: 25 hits

  • learn that the book was on sale even in railway stations ( letter to Charles Lyell, 14 January
  • the book, thinking that it would be nice easy reading.’ ( letter to Asa Gray, 22 May [1860] ). …
  • he told Hooker, did not at all concern his main argument ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 3 January [1860] …
  • his theory would have beenutterly  smashed’ ( letter to T. H. Huxley, 3 July [1860] ). (A
  • from right principles of scientific investigation.—’ ( letter to J. S. Henslow, 8 May [1860] ). …
  • a theory solely by explaining an ample lot of facts.’ ( letter to Asa Gray, 18 February [1860] ). …
  • phenomena it comes in time to be admitted as real.’ ( letter to C. J. F. Bunbury, 9 February [1860] …
  • natural selection did not necessarily lead to progression ( letter to Charles Lyell, 18 [and 19
  • inter se ,’ Darwins theory would remain unproven (T. H. Huxley 1860a). Darwin had long
  • considered it more a failure than a success ( see letter to J. D. Hooker, 14 February [1860] ). …
  • naturalists because more accustomed to reasoning.’ ( letter to A. R. Wallace, 18 May 1860 ). …
  • two physiologists, and five botanists ( see letter to J. D. Hooker, 3 March [1860] ). Others, like
  • tail, whenever I gaze at it, makes me sick!’ ( letter to Asa Gray, 3 April [1860] ). By the
  • favour of change of form’, namely those of embryology ( letter to Asa Gray, 10 September [1860] ). …
  • his study of the geographical distribution of species ( see letter from T. H. Huxley, 6 August 1860
  • … ‘man is in same predicament with other animals’ ( letter to Charles Lyell, 10 January [1860] )— he
  • book had becometopics of the dayat the meeting in a letter from Hooker written from Oxford. …
  • Darwinmaster of the field after 4 hours battle’ (letter from J. D. Hooker, 2 July 1860). Other
  • thatthis row is best thing for subject.—’ ( letter to T. H. Huxley, 3 July [1860] ). Further
  • …  rather than against Darwins book per se . Prodded by Henslows defence of the integrity of
  • if the whole were already proved) to his own views.—’ ( letter from J. S. Henslow to J. D. Hooker, …
  • … ‘how differently different opposers view the subject’ ( letter to Charles Lyell, 15 February [1860] …
  • studying the first published piece: 'I said in a former letter that you were a Lawyer; but I
  • that these visits have led to changed structure.’ ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 27 April [1860] ). …
  • several months later, ‘just as at a game of chess.’ ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 19 [July 1860] ). …

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: 26 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. …
  • her to read to check that she can understand it. Letter 7312 - Darwin to Darwin, F. …
  • from all but educated, typically-male readers. Letter 7124 - Darwin to Darwin, H. E
  • he seeks her help with tone and style. Letter 7329 - Murray , J. to Darwin, [28
  • in order to minimise impeding general perusal. Letter 7331 - Darwin to Murray, …
  • he uses to avoid ownership of indelicate content. Letter 8335 - Reade, W. W. to
  • so as not to lose the interest of women. Letter 8341 - Reade, W. W. to Darwin, …
  • which will make it more appealing to women. Letter 8611 - Cupples, A. J. to
  • Darwins female readership Letter 5391 - Becker, L. E. to Darwin, [6 February
  • of the Manchester Ladies Literary Society . Letter 6551 - Becker, L. E . to
  • the chapter on pangenesis, which is a revelation. Letter 6976 - Darwin to Blackwell, A. …
  • Darwin assumes that 'A. B. Blackwell' is a man. Letter 7177 - Cupples, G. to
  • him to the psychology of Herbert Spencer. Letter 7624 - Bathoe, M . B. to Darwin
  • his statements on a lack of reasoning in animals. Letter 7644 - Barnard, A. to
  • with her father. Letter 7651 - Wedgwood, F. J. to Darwin, H. E., [1 April 1871] …
  • Letter 8778 - Forster, L. M . to Darwin, H. E., [20 February 1873] Henriettas
  • lay it down. Letter 13547 - Tanner, M. H. to Darwin, [12 December 1881] …
  • Letter 5861 - Blyth, E. to Darwin, [11 February 1868] Zoologist Edward Blyth sends
  • Letter 5928 - Gray, A. to Darwin, [25 February 1868] American naturalist Asa Gray
  • Letter 6040 - Haeckel, E. P. A. to Darwin, [23 March 1868] Haeckel informs Darwin
  • Letter 6110 - Samuelson, J. to Darwin, [10 April 1868] James Samuel, editor of
  • Variation . Letter 6126 - Binstead, C. H. to Darwin, [17 April 1868] …
  • Letter 6237 - Bullar, R. to Darwin, [9 June 1868] Rosa Bullar reports a case of a
  • Letter 6335 - Innes, J. B. to Darwin, [31 August 1868] John Innes reports that he has
  • a revelation. Letter 9633 - Nevill, D. F. to Darwin, [11 September 1874] …

Darwin on race and gender

Summary

Darwin’s views on race and gender are intertwined, and mingled also with those of class. In Descent of man, he tried to explain the origin of human races, and many of the differences between the sexes, with a single theory: sexual selection. Sexual…

Matches: 4 hits

  • … ( Beagle diary , p. 143). He was delighted to receive a letter from an African correspondent …
  • … and Progress Key letters: Letter to J. S. Henslow, 11 April 1833 …
  • … Society and History 45: 815–42. Stocking, George. 1868. Race, culture, and evolution: …
  • … Correspondence with women Key letters : Letter to H. E. Darwin, [8 February …

Darwin in letters, 1871: An emptying nest

Summary

The year 1871 was an extremely busy and productive one for Darwin, with the publication in February of his long-awaited book on human evolution, Descent of man. The other main preoccupation of the year was the preparation of his manuscript on expression.…

Matches: 22 hits

  • … book since the publication of  Variation  in February 1868, but many of the topics, such as the …
  • … do to talk about it, which no doubt promotes the sale’ ( letter from J. D. Hooker, 26 March 1871 ) …
  • … to her liking, ‘to keep in memory of the book’ ( letter to H. E. Darwin, 20 March 1871 ). …
  • … and had forsaken his lunch and dinner in order to read it ( letter from James Crichton-Browne, 19 …
  • … they believe to be the truth, whether pleasant or not’ (letter from W. W. Reade, 21 February 1871). …
  • … and Oldham … They club together to buy them’ ( letter from W. B. Dawkins, 23 February 1871 ). …
  • … one’s n th . ancestor lived between tide-marks!’ ( letter from T. H. Huxley, 20 February 1871 ). …
  • … habits, furnished with a tail and pointed ears”  (letter from Asa Gray, 14 April 1871) …
  • … ‘will-power’ and the heavy use of their arms and legs ( letter from C. L. Bernays, 25 February 1871 …
  • … in order to make it darker than the hair on his head ( letter from W. B. Tegetmeier, [before 25 …
  • … together with an image of an orang-utan foetus ( letter from Hinrich Nitsche, 18 April 1871 ). …
  • … of himself, adding that it made a ‘very poor return’ ( letter to Hinrich Nitsche, 25 April [1871] …
  • … each night, returning to its allotted space each morning ( letter from Arthur Nicols, 7 March 1871 …
  • … without having a high aesthetic appreciation of beauty ( letter from E. J. Pfeiffer, [before 26 …
  • … endowment of spiritual life’ at some time in the past ( letter from Roland Trimen, 17 and 18 April …
  • … to the white’. Darwin thanked Innes for his ‘pleasant letter’, but asserted his antipathy to human …
  • … myself a good way ahead of you, as far as this goes’ ( letter to J. B. Innes, 29 May [1871] ). …
  • … ‘whereas the baboon is as the Creator made it’ ( letter from George Morrish, 18 March 1871 ). …
  • … the most deep and tender religious feeling’ ( letter from F. E. Abbot, 20 August 1871 ). The …
  • … Popery and fear for his soul’ ( letter from T. H. Huxley and H. A. Huxley, 20 September 1871 ). …
  • … who was ‘as good as twice refined gold’ ( letter to H. E. Litchfield, 4 September [1871] ). …
  • … up to the last with quinine & sherry’ ( letter from H. E. Litchfield to Charles and Emma Darwin …

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: 27 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 …
  • … nowadays is evolution and it is the correct one’ ( letter from Nemo, [1876?] ). …
  • … him ‘basely’ and who had succeeded in giving him pain ( letter to A. R. Wallace, 17 June 1876 ). …
  • … disgrace’ of blackballing so distinguished a zoologist ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 29 January 1876 ) …
  • … must have been cast by the ‘poorest curs in London’ ( letter to W. T. Thiselton-Dyer, [4 February …
  • … her questions were ‘too silly to deserve an answer’ ( letter from S. B. Herrick, 12 February 1876 …
  • … on Dionaea ‘to test the insect eating theory’ ( letter from Peter Henderson, 15 November 1876 …
  • … sending Darwin small amendments to his results ( letter from Moritz Schiff, 8 May 1876 ). …
  • … expressed in the pangenesis hypothesis, first published in 1868 ( Variation 2: 357–404). Others …
  • … to get positive results in this year’s experiments’ ( letter from G. J. Romanes, [ c . 19 March …
  • … in the Encyclopaedia Britannica the previous year ( letter to G. H. Darwin, [after 4 September …
  • … and to promote work he admired. He was so interested in a letter from Fritz Müller in Brazil …
  • … with the ants that inhabited the trunk that he sent the letter to Nature for publication. ‘It …
  • … shoemaker and ardent naturalist Thomas Edward ( letter from F. M. Balfour, 11 December 1876 ; …
  • … ‘all I can say is do not commit suicide’ ( letter to G. H. Darwin, [4 June 1876] ). By midsummer, …
  • … a set of sons I have, all doing wonders.’ ( Letter to G. H. Darwin, 13 July [1876]. ) A …
  • … and eczema, was able to rest his mind ( letter to G. H. Darwin, 2 May [1876] ). Darwin even …
  • letter to Andrew Clark, [late June 1876] ; letter to G. H. Darwin, 13 July [1876] ). The irony …
  • … she confided to Henrietta (letter from Emma Darwin to H. E. Litchfield, [31 August 1876] (DAR 219.9: …
  • … Friedrich Hildebrand, 6 December 1876 , and letter from F. J. Cohn, 31 December 1876 ). …
  • … been the subject of mere observation’ ( letter from T. H. Farrer, 31 December 1876 ). The Swiss …
  • … on the method, or remains in utter darkness’ ( letter to H. N. Moseley, 22 November 1876 ). …

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: 28 hits

  • … The death of Hugh Falconer Darwin’s first letter to Hooker of 1865 suggests that the family …
  • … having all the Boys at home: they make the house jolly’ ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 7 January [1865] …
  • … had failed to include among the grounds of the award ( see letter from Hugh Falconer to Erasmus …
  • … his letters to Darwin, and Darwin responded warmly: ‘Your letter is by far the grandest eulogium …
  • … may well rest content that I have not laboured in vain’ ( letter to Hugh Falconer, 6 January [1865] …
  • … always a most kind friend to me. So the world goes.—’ ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 2 February [1865] …
  • … for our griefs & pains: these alone are unalloyed’ ( letter from J. D. Hooker, 3 February 1865 …
  • … gas.— Sic transit gloria mundi, with a vengeance’ ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 9 February [1865] ). …
  • … added, ‘I know it is folly & nonsense to try anyone’ ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 7 January [1865] …
  • … ineffective, and Darwin had given it up by early July ( see letter to J. D. Hooker, [10 July 1865] …
  • … of anything, & that almost exclusively bread & meat’ ( letter to Asa Gray, 15 August [1865] …
  • … better, attributing the improvement to Jones’s diet ( see letter to T. H. Huxley, 4 October [1865] …
  • … he was ‘able to write about an hour on most days’ ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 22 December [1865] ). …
  • … others very forward, except the last & concluding one’ ( letter to John Murray, 31 March [1865] …
  • … my book will be ready for the press in the autumn’ ( letter to John Murray, 4 April [1865] ). In …
  • … however, ‘I am never idle when I can do anything’ ( letter to John Murray, 2 June [1865] ). It was …
  • … illness and delay, the book was not published until January 1868. 'Climbing plants' …
  • … might be more willing to bear the expense of the woodcuts ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 7 January [1865 …
  • … & I loathe the whole subject like tartar emetic’ ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 19 January [1865] ) …
  • … you will be an unnatural parent, for it is your child’ ( letter to Asa Gray, 19 April 1865 ; …
  • … needed for references, probably from the Linnean Society ( letter to [Richard Kippist], 4 June …
  • … in or before November 1864 ( Correspondence vol. 12, letter to Ernst Haeckel, 21 November [1864 …
  • … 1865 that he had just finished hearing it read aloud ( letter to Fritz Müller, 10 August [1865] ). …
  • … Linnean Society for publication in Müller’s name ( see letter from Fritz Müller, [12 and 31 August, …
  • … hang on it a good many groups of facts.’ ( Letter to T. H. Huxley, 27 May [1865] .) The …
  • … manuscript was published as chapter 27 of  Variation  in 1868. The wider debate …
  • … humans (see  Correspondence  vol. 10, letter from J. H. Balfour, 14 January 1862 ). According …
  • … a trying year. In January he had influenza ( letter from F. H. Hooker, [27 January 1865] ); before …

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: 27 hits

  • worth studying in a metaphys. point of view Henslow has list of plants of Mauritius with
  • … [Reimarius 1760] The Highlands & Western Isl ds  letter to Sir W Scott [MacCulloch 1824
  • 183440]: In Portfolio ofabstracts34  —letter from Skuckard of books on Silk Worm
  • … [Gaertner 178891] (Plates on all seeds) R. Soc Henslow says there is a grand book with
  • Von. J. Metzger. Heidelberg 1841 [Metzger 1841] Read Henslow in Botanist 36  has written on
  • M rs  Frys Life [Fry 1847] Horace Walpoles letter to C t . of Ossory [Walpole 1848] …
  • 1851]. Packard. A Guide to the Study of Insects 1868. U. States [Packard 18689] (an
  • Asiatic Society ]—contains very little Macleays letter to D r  Fleming [Macleay 1830] …
  • 1834]— d[itt]o d[itt]o d[itt]o. d[itt]o. 15 th  Henslows Botany [Henslow 1837].— d[itt]o d
  • … ] 4. Vol. references at End Feb. 23 rd . Henslow Pamph. on Wheat [Henslow 1841]— fact about
  • or Review in a Medical Journal which Hooker has & lent to Henslow Huxley [DAR *128: 178
  • … [Heer 1854].— Hooker has it.— Very important Hookers letter Jan. 1859 Yules Ava [Yule 1858] …
  • 8] 1854 Jan 15. Seemans Narrative of H.M.S. Herald [Seeman 1853]. Feb 6. …
  • of the material from these portfolios is in DAR 205, the letter from William Edward Shuckard to
  • Botanist , 5 vols. (183741), edited by John Stevens Henslow and B. Maund. 37  See
  • … ( Notebooks , pp. 31928). 55  The letter was addressed to Nicholas Aylward Vigors
  • to William Jackson Hooker. See  Correspondence  vol. 3, letter to J. D. Hooker, [5 or 12 November
  • Belcher, Edward. 1848Narrative of the voyage of H.M.S.   Samarang during the years 184346; …
  • Narrative of a voyage round the world, performed in H.M.S.   Sulphur,   183642 . 2 vols. …
  • … . Pt 1 of  The botany of the   Antarctic voyage of H.M. Discovery Ships   Erebus and Terror in
  • by Richard Owen.  Vol. 4 of  The works of John Hunter, F.R.S. with notes . Edited by James F. …
  • Beete. 1847Narrative of the surveying voyage   of H.M.S. Flyin the Torres Strait, New
  • Keppel, Henry. 1846The expedition to Borneo of H.M.S.   Dido for the suppression of piracy; …
  • … ——. 1853A visit to the Indian Archipelago, in H.M.S.   Mæander, with portions of the private
  • Macgillivray, John. 1852Narrative of the voyage of   H.M.S. Rattlesnake, commanded by the late
  • 2 vols. London119: 5a Packard, Alpheus Spring. 18689Guide to the study of   …
  • Peacock, George. 1855Life of Thomas Young, M.D., F.R.S.  London.  *128: 172; 128: 21