Darwin (Charles) Collection, before 1858-1882

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Summary

Title:
Charles Darwin collection
Dates:
before 1858-1882
Creators:
Darwin, Charles, 1809-1882
Abstract:
Letters of English naturalist, geologist, and biologist, Charles Darwin and his botanist son Francis Darwin.
Extent:
1.2 Linear Feet (1 box)
Language:
Materials are in English.
Preferred citation:

[Identification of item]. Charles Darwin collection, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.

Background

Scope and content:

The collection contains correspondence from Charles Darwin to British botanist John Forbes Royle, American philosopher and historian John Fiske, and German biologist Ernst Krause. Also includes correspondence from Sir Francis Darwin to Ernst Krause. There is also one letter by British zoologist and curator William S. Dallas to Ernst Krause. Several of Charles Darwin's letters were written by his son, Francis. The subjects of the letters include Darwin's work, biology, Darwin's father, physician Robert Darwin, grandfather, natural philosopher and poet Erasmus Darwin, English poet and author of Memoirs of the Life of Dr. Darwin Anna Seward (1742-1809), and English novelist and critic Samuel Butler (1835-1902).

Biographical / historical:

Charles Darwin was born in 1809 in England. His father, Robert Darwin (1766-1848), was a physician, and the son of Erasmus Darwin (1731-1802), a poet, philosopher, and naturalist. Charles Darwin's mother, Susannah Wedgewood Darwin, died when he was eight years old. Darwin studied medicine briefly, then went on to become a clergyman in the Church of England. After receiving his degree, Darwin accepted an invitation to serve as an unpaid naturalist on the H.M.S. Beagle, which departed on a five-year scientific expedition to the Pacific Coast of South America on December 31, 1831. Darwin's research resulting from this voyage formed the basis of his famous book, On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection. Published in 1859, the work aroused a storm of controversy. In the book Darwin outlined his theory of evolution, challenging contemporary beliefs about the creation of life on Earth. Darwin continued to write and publish his works on biology throughout his life. He lived with his wife, Emma Wedgewood Darwin, and children at their home in the village of Downe, fifteen miles from London. He died on April 19, 1882, and lies buried in Westminster Abbey. His son, Sir Francis Darwin, became a botanist. He was knighted in 1913 and died in September 1925.

Acquisition information:
mssHM 8260-8269 removed from manuscript volume: Letters - Darwin, Huxley, Spencer, September 1938. mssHM 12879 removed from volume: English Authors, October 1939. mssHM 36171-36216, mssHM 36219-36221: provenance unknown. In library as of December 1974.
Processing information:

Processed by Huntington Library staff throughout the 20th century. In April 2025, Brooke M. Black created a finding aid.

Arrangement:

Arranged alphabetically.

Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

About this collection guide

Collection Guide Author:
Brooke M. Black
Date Encoded:
This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2025-05-13 14:40:05 -0700 .

Access and use

Restrictions:

Open for use by qualified researchers and by appointment. Please contact Reader Services at the Huntington Library for more information.

Terms of access:

The Huntington Library does not require that researchers request permission to quote from or publish images of this material, nor does it charge fees for such activities. The responsibility for identifying the copyright holder, if there is one, and obtaining necessary permissions rests with the researcher.

Preferred citation:

[Identification of item]. Charles Darwin collection, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.

Location of this collection:
1151 Oxford Road
San Marino, CA 91108, US
Contact:
(626) 405-2191
reference@huntington.org
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