Darwin’s Children Drew All Over his manuscript
The top image was drawn on the back of the On The Origin Of The Species manuscript, the second image is of the Darwin family home:
with cozy details like a tea kettle on the boil and a fluffy orange cat in the attic window… Fascinatingly, this image might be detailed enough that it actually depicts Darwin’s famous sandwalk, his “thinking path” that led to the family greenhouse (which is, perhaps, the structure visible at the end of the path). The area was later made into a playground for the Darwin children.
The third image is of Emma Darwin’s diary, which a toddler has blacked out.
It’s all a great reminder that even legendary scientists had family lives, and that when we think about history, it’s important to remember that famous figures weren’t working in isolation. They were surrounded by far less famous friends, family members, acquaintances, and enemies. And sometimes, when we get lucky, we see some of their artifacts from the past too.
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