A Valuable Discovery: Complete Online Catalog of Charles Darwin’s Personal Library
On the occasion of the 215th anniversary of Charles Darwin’s birth, a significant development has taken place in the world of science and history. An extensive online catalog of Darwin’s personal library, compiled by Dr. John Vaehe from the National University of Singapore, has been made available for free access. This catalog, consisting of 300 pages, consists of a staggering 7,400 books, brochures, and magazines across 13,000 volumes, which is 15 times the number previously known.
While a major portion of the collection, comprising 1,480 works, had been preserved and documented in 1882, several publications had been lost or simply forgotten. Over the course of 18 years, the project team of scientists engaged in the cataloging process managed to identify thousands of previously unidentified materials mentioned in Darwin’s notes and diaries. The manuscript catalog dating back to 1875 served as a crucial primary source, enabling the discovery of an additional 440 titles.
After Darwin’s demise, researchers accounted for a total of 2,065 publications, excluding brochures. Astonishingly, the entire “scientific library” was initially valued at a mere 30 pounds and 12 shillings. Today, any book containing Darwin’s personal annotations is deemed priceless by collectors.
In addition to the manuscript catalog, other sources of information, including brochures, Darwin’s workbooks, his wife Emma’s diaries, and 30 volumes of his correspondence, were used to determine the contents of the library. This comprehensive approach allowed the researchers to identify books that had been sold at auctions, donated, or stored elsewhere.
While the majority of the books in Darwin’s collection pertain to biology and geology, there are also works related to agriculture, psychology, religion, art, and other disciplines. Significantly, almost half of the books are not written in English.
Among the hundreds of previously unknown works, two notable discoveries include a photo album titled “Sunny Pictures” from 1872 and a popular encyclopedia on gorillas by Dyushan Field, published after the release of Darwin’s groundbreaking “On the Origin of Species.” The latter caused considerable excitement among contemporaries.
Moreover, an article by ornithologist Odubon, detailing