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Darwin's in letters, 1873: Animal or vegetable?
Summary
Having laboured for nearly five years on human evolution, sexual selection, and the expression of emotions, Darwin was able to devote 1873 almost exclusively to his beloved plants. He resumed work on the digestive powers of sundews and Venus fly traps, and…
Matches: 24 hits
- … and the expression of emotions, Darwin was able to devote 1873 almost exclusively to his beloved …
- … A large portion of the letters Darwin received in 1873 were in response to The expression of the …
- … roles in creating a private memorial fund for Thomas Henry Huxley, and in efforts to alleviate the …
- … to have observed” ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 12 January [1873] ). Drosera was the main focus of …
- … leaf & branch!” ( letter from J. D. Hooker, 12 January 1873 ). Darwin found that the …
- … copy of the Handbook for the physiological laboratory (1873), a detailed guide to animal …
- … Darwin’s other main focus of botanical investigation in 1873 was cross- and self-fertilisation, work …
- … flower would become modified & correlated” ( letter to T. H. Farrer, 14 August 1873 ). …
- … when it will be ready” ( letter to John Murray, 4 May [1873] ). Keeping it in the family …
- … their burrows” ( letter from Francis Darwin, 14 August [1873] ). In September, Darwin …
- … will be created” ( letter to E. A. Darwin, 20 September 1873 ). Erasmus, who had studied medicine …
- … work” ( letter from E. A. Darwin, 25 September [1873] ). Shortly afterwards, it was arranged for …
- … 1872 and sold quickly. He wrote to Hooker on 12 January [1873] , “Did I ever boast to you on the …
- … anonymously in the Edinburgh Review in April ([Baynes] 1873). Darwin asked one of his Scottish …
- … before hand” ( letter to George Cupples, 28 April [1873] ). Readers' lives …
- … throat like a bulldog” ( letter from L. M. Forster to H. E. Litchfield, 20 February 1873 ). The …
- … could be transmitted to its offspring ( letter from J. T. Moggridge, 1 February 1873 ). …
- … a large sum in his own name. Together with Thomas Henry Huxley, Darwin drafted an appeal to …
- … it would offend his father ( enclosure to letter from T. H. Huxley, 3 December 1873 ). In …
- … conversation with Emma Darwin, and Darwin began to sound out Huxley’s friends on the matter. The …
- … from J. D. Hooker, [7 April 1873] ). A group of Huxley’s close friends, including Hooker, …
- … happiness to us to the last day of our lives” ( letter to T. H. Huxley, 23 April 1873 ). Huxley …
- … been without energy & without hope” ( letter from T. H. Huxley, 24 April 1873 ). He accepted …
- … to starve sweat & purge it away” ( letter from G. H. Darwin, [1 October 1873] ). He also …
All Darwin's letters from 1873 go online for the anniversary of Origin
Summary
To celebrate the 158th anniversary of the publication of Origin of species on 24 November, the full transcripts and footnotes of over 500 letters from and to Charles Darwin in 1873 are now available online. Read about Darwin's life in 1873 through his…
Matches: 7 hits
- … of over 500 letters from and to Charles Darwin in 1873 are now available online. We have also …
- … Here are some highlights from Darwin's correspondence in 1873: I do not think any …
- … in Drosera. ( Letter to J. D. Hooker, 23 October [1873] ) In 1873, Darwin continued …
- … work to do ( Letter to E. A. Darwin, 20 September 1873 ) As well as working on …
- … of them sold! ( Letter to J. D. Hooker, 12 January [1873] ) Expression of the …
- … to an honoured & much loved brother. ( Letter to T. H. Huxley, 23 April 1873 ) …
- … and marvellous ( Letter to Francis Galton, 28 May 1873 ) Darwin was invited to …
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: 19 hits
- … by observation during prolonged intervals’ ( letter to D. T. Gardner, [ c . 27 August 1874] ). …
- … Andrew Clark, whom he had been consulting since August 1873. Darwin had originally thought that …
- … researcher Frederick William Henry Myers, and Thomas Henry Huxley, who sent a long report to Darwin …
- … Mr Williams was ‘a cheat and an imposter’ ( letter from T. H. Huxley, 27 January 1874 ). Darwin …
- … that he was thus free to perform his antics’ ( letter to T. H. Huxley, 29 January [1874] ). This …
- … allowed ‘a spirit séance’ at his home ( letter from T. G. Appleton, 2 April 1874 ). Back …
- … had suggested a new edition of the coral book in December 1873, when he realised the difficulty a …
- … vol. 21, letter to Smith, Elder & Co., 17 December [1873] ). Darwin himself had some trouble …
- … sweetly all the horrid bother of correction’ ( letter to H. E. Litchfield, 21 [March 1874] ). The …
- … and disease in the Sandwich Islands (Hawaii; letters from T. N. Staley, 12 February 1874 and …
- … additions to Descent was an eight-page note written by Huxley with the aim of ending a dispute …
- … ape and human brains, he asked for a clarifying note from Huxley (Desmond and Moore 2004, pp. xxxv …
- … anatomists; and never mind where it goes’ ( letter from T. H. Huxley, 16 April 1874 ). The …
- … conciseness & clearness of your thought’ ( letter from G. H. Darwin, 20 April 1874 ). …
- … of human evolution and inheritance himself. In August 1873, he had published in the Contemporary …
- … the spread of various mental and physical disorders (G. H. Darwin 1873b). In July 1874, an anonymous …
- … the use of the Down schoolroom as a winter reading room in 1873 (see Correspondence , vol. 21, …
- … ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 20 July [1874] ). In 1873, Hooker had begun a series of …
- … vol. 21, letter from Francis Darwin, [11 October 1873] ). Darwin wasted several weeks in …
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: 27 hits
- … Letter 1194 - Darwin to Whitby, M. A. T., [12 August 1849] Darwin thanks Mary Whitby …
- … in inheritance. Letter 3787 - Darwin, H. E. to Darwin, [29 October 1862] …
- … pet dog and birds. Letter 5817 - Darwin to Huxley, T. H., [30 January 1868] …
- … Letter 6535 - Vaughan Williams , M. S. to Darwin, H. E., [after 14 October 1869] …
- … Letter 8701 - Lubbock, E. F . to Darwin, [1873] Ellen Lubbock, wife of naturalist …
- … Letter 8989 - Treat, M. to Darwin, [28 July 1873] Mary Treat reports in detail on her …
- … Letter 9426 - Story-Maskelyne , T. M. to Darwin, [23 April 1874] Thereza …
- … buds and flowers. Letter 9616 - Marshall, T. to Darwin, [September 1874] …
- … patience”. Letter 4242 - Hildebrand, F. H. G. to Darwin, [16 July 1863] …
- … 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] Darwin’s niece, Lucy, …
- … Leith Hill Place. Letter 6139 - Doubleday, H. to Darwin, [22 April 1868] …
- … Letter 8168 - Ruck, A. R . to Darwin, H., [20 January 1872] Amy Ruck reports the …
- … in a tin box. Letter 9616 - Marshall, T. to Darwin, [September 1874] …
- … Letter 1113 - Darwin to Whitby, M. A. T., [2 September 1847] Darwin questions Mrs. …
- … “eyebrows”. Letter 1701 - Morris, M. H. to Prior, R. C. A., [17 June 1855] …
- … Letter 8989 - Treat, M. to Darwin, [28 July 1873] Mary Treat provides a detailed …
- … with minnows. Letter 2781 - Doubleday, H. to Darwin, [3 May 1860] …
- … suggestion. Letter 5254 - Hildebrand, F. H. G. to Darwin, [23 October 1866] …
- … those at Kew. Letter 6139 - Doubleday, H. to Darwin, [22 April 1868] …
- … can understand it. Letter 3896 - Darwin to Huxley, T. H, [before 25 February 1863] …
- … daughter, Henrietta. Letter 4010 - Huxley, T. H. to Darwin, [25 February 1863] …
- … 9156 - Wallace, A. R . to Darwin, [19 November 1873] Wallace reassures Darwin that …
- … 9157 - Darwin to Da rwin, G. H., [20 November 1873] Darwin offers the work of …
- … Letter 1113 - Darwin to Whitby, M. A. T., [2 September 1847] Darwin asks Mrs. Whitby …
- … Letter 8719 - Darwin to Treat, M., [1 January 1873] Darwin gives Mary Treat close …
- … 9157 - Darwin to Da rwin, G. H., [20 November 1873] Darwin offers the work of …
St George Jackson Mivart
Summary
In the second half of 1874, Darwin’s peace was disturbed by an anonymous article in the Quarterly Review suggesting that his son George was opposed to the institution of marriage and in favour of ‘unrestrained licentiousness’. Darwin suspected, correctly,…
Matches: 18 hits
- … George Darwin's article on marriage In August 1873, George had published an article …
- … to liberty of marriage’ in the Contemporary Review (G. H. Darwin 1873b). In this article, George …
- … in the next issue of the Quarterly ( letter from G. H. Darwin, 29 July 1874 ). Darwin hastily …
- … Murray would be likely to wish to circulate ( letter to G. H. Darwin, 1 August [1874] ). Darwin …
- … he might be thought to endorse them ( letter from G. H. Darwin, 5 August 1874 ). He sent a second …
- … by me, published in the ‘Contemporary Review’ for August 1873, and entitled ‘On Beneficial …
- … the form of an apology without actually apologising. Huxley intervenes In December, …
- … on George ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 14 December 1874 ). Huxley met Mivart at an evening meeting, …
- … Dec 20th 1874. Private & Confidential Dear Huxley. I thank you for your …
- … Science, Technology and Medicine Archives) Huxley did not share this letter with …
- … devoid of all the instincts of a gentleman’ ( letter from T. H. Huxley, 23 December 1874 ). …
- … was necessary to break off friendly relations between them. Huxley was consciously taking on the …
- … Deities do battle with the infernal powers.’ What Hooker, Huxley, and Darwin were proposing was that …
- … was not willing to reply. However, for men in Hooker’s, Huxley’s, and Darwin’s social position, it …
- … and the abuse of power. (Hooker was president and Huxley secretary of the Royal Society of London.) …
- … Dec. 24th 1874. Private & Confidential Dear Huxley, I thank you for your …
- … remaining | Your’s very faithfully | St Geo Mivart T. H. Huxley Esq Sec R.S. &c &c …
- … 1875, Mivart had still not made any further move, and Huxley had persuaded Hooker that it would be …
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: 12 hits
- … would no doubt do if we had proper data to go by, but don’t think we have got that yet’ ( letter …
- … to see Thomson’s work challenged by both Thomas Henry Huxley and Wallace. He confided to Huxley, ‘I …
- … been less deferential towards [Thomson]’ ( letter to T. H. Huxley, 19 March [1869] ). …
- … and fossil discoveries in Patagonia and Wales ( letter from T. H. Huxley, 7 May 1869 , letter …
- … incorporating his latest revisions (Moulinié trans. 1873). Reinwald and Moulinié had been engaged …
- … part at Darwin’s most outspoken British supporter, Thomas Huxley, whose address ‘The physical basis …
- … “punctum saliens” of the whole meeting was decidedly Huxley’s answer to D r M c Cann. He …
- … man’ ( letter from J. D. Hooker, 7 September 1869 ). Huxley playfully groused that as usual …
- … greater fools of themselves than they did’ ( letter from T. H. Huxley, 28 September 1869 ). …
- … into which … I do not care to follow him’ ( letter from T. H. Farrer, 9 October 1869 ). Farrer …
- … Freedom and Will and High Design—’ (letter from T. H. Farrer, 13 October 1869). …
- … to set foot on summit of a mountain.—’ ( letter to T. H. Huxley, 9 July [1869] ). Earlier …
Darwin in letters, 1875: Pulling strings
Summary
‘I am getting sick of insectivorous plants’, Darwin confessed in January 1875. He had worked on the subject intermittently since 1859, and had been steadily engaged on a book manuscript for nine months; January also saw the conclusion of a bitter dispute…
Matches: 9 hits
- … codes of conduct and communication in scientific society. Huxley chose journalism, depicting the …
- … Instead of supporting her, he worked closely with Huxley and John Burdon Sanderson to draft an …
- … appoint a Royal Commission to advise on future legislation. Huxley served on the commission, which …
- … , p. 183). Darwin learned of Klein’s testimony from Huxley on 30 October 1875 : ‘I declare to you …
- … at what you say about Klein,’ Darwin replied to Huxley on 1 November . ‘I am very glad he is a …
- … heavily on his son Francis, who had made the decision in 1873 to abandon his medical studies and …
- … and the local vicar George Sketchley Ffinden resurfaced. In 1873, Charles and Emma Darwin and the …
- … on the digestive properties of Nepenthes since 1873. ‘You are aware that Dr Hooker has worked …
- … career, having studied under George Rolleston at Oxford and Huxley at South Kensington, with …
Darwin's bad days
Summary
Despite being a prolific worker who had many successes with his scientific theorising and experimenting, even Darwin had some bad days. These times when nothing appeared to be going right are well illustrated by the following quotations from his letters:
Matches: 1 hits
- … Despite being a prolific worker who had many successes with his scientific theorising and …
Referencing women’s work
Summary
Darwin's correspondence shows that women made significant contributions to Darwin's work, but whether and how they were acknowledged in print involved complex considerations of social standing, professional standing, and personal preference.…
Matches: 1 hits
- … Letter 8719 - Darwin to Treat, M., [1 January 1873] Darwin asks naturalist Mary Treat …
Darwin and vivisection
Summary
Darwin played an important role in the controversy over vivisection that broke out in late 1874. Public debate was sparked when the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals brought an unsuccessful prosecution against a French physiologist who…
Matches: 5 hits
- … He reiterated these concerns in a letter to Thomas Henry Huxley ten days later, urging him to work …
- … for the physiological laboratory (Klein et al . 1873), which became a focus of criticism in the …
- … In drafting the bill on vivisection, he consulted with Huxley and Burdon Sanderson, with legal …
- … was prepared, and printed on 24 April. Burdon Sanderson and Huxley suggested approaching Lyon …
- … Commission on vivisection , Appendix III, p. 338) Huxley and Burdon Sanderson both expressed …
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 ones, …
Animals, ethics, and the progress of science
Summary
Darwin’s view on the kinship between humans and animals had important ethical implications. In Descent, he argued that some animals exhibited moral behaviour and had evolved mental powers analogous to conscience. He gave examples of cooperation, even…
Matches: 1 hits
- … handbook for the physiological laboratory (Klein et al. 1873), a two volume work designed for …
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…
Suggested reading
Summary
Contemporary writing Anon., The English matron: A practical manual for young wives, (London, 1846). Anon., The English gentlewoman: A practical manual for young ladies on their entrance to society, (Third edition, London, 1846). Becker, L. E.…
Matches: 1 hits
- … of men of the day: Dr Garrett Anderson , (London, 1873), p. 30. Modern …
Darwin in letters, 1877: Flowers and honours
Summary
Ever since the publication of Expression, Darwin’s research had centred firmly on botany. The year 1877 was no exception. The spring and early summer were spent completing Forms of flowers, his fifth book on a botanical topic. He then turned to the…
