Charles Darwin’s approach to book-writing went through four key stages…
Articles
Modesty and candour: the Darwin-Wallace friendship
To mark the 200th anniversary of Wallace’s birth, an article exploring the friendship between Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace.
Cambridge Darwin pilgrimage
A trip to see a treasure-trove of Darwinalia.
Charles Darwin’s note-making system
An exploration of how Darwin kept track of his various notes, enabling him to produce a huge body of work.
28-Sep-1838: Darwin brainstorms Malthus
On 28 September 1838, Charles Darwin made some notes inspired by the writings of Rev. Thomas Malthus, and a famous simile was born.
Gilbert White’s influence on Charles Darwin
To mark the 300th anniversary of his birth, a brief account of Rev. Gilbert White’s influence on Charles Darwin.
The funeral ceremony of Charles Darwin at Westminster Abbey, 26 April 1882. Wood engraving.
Credit: Wellcome Collection. Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
26-Apr-1882: Charles Darwin buried in Westminster Abbey
On 26th April 1882, Charles Darwin was buried in Westminster Abbey. How this honour came about is described by his son Francis Darwin in The Life and Letters of Charles Darwin…
An embarrassment of Richards
In which my head appears on a spike (six times).
03-Dec-1831: Darwin’s first night aboard HMS Beagle
Darwin records his experimentations with a hammock.
(Composite image from two contemporaneous portraits by George Richmond.)
29-Jan-1839: Charles Darwin marries Emma Wedgwood
On 29th January 1839, after a short courtship and engagement, Charles Darwin married his cousin Emma Wedgwood at St Peter's Church, Maer, Staffordshire.
A cat among the pigeons
Could Charles Darwin really have been a moggy murderer?
14-May-1856: Darwin starts writing his ‘big species book’
On 14 May 1856, Charles Darwin recorded in his journal that, on the advice of his friend Charles Lyell, after almost 20 years exploring the subject, he had finally begun writing a ‘sketch’ of his ideas on species.