Darwin Portrait. One of the last photographs taken of Charles Darwin, c. 1878. © From the Richard Milner Archive
Exhibition Review – Tara Booth visits Darwin - Big Idea, running at London’s Natural History Museum until April 19 2009.
A horned frog, a wall of skulls and strands of hair from Darwin’s beard are just some of the items greeting visitors to the new Darwin exhibition at London’s Natural History Museum.
It’s been 150 years since the publication of Darwin’s controversial yet pioneering Origin of Species, and February 2009 will see the 200th anniversary of the theorist’s birthday.
San Cristóbal and Floreana, Galapagos mockingbirds. © Tara Booth / Culture24
In commemoration, the Museum is offering visitors the chance to re-trace the great man's steps, discover the revolutionary theory that changed our understanding of the world and our place within it, and celebrate the ideas, their impact and the achievements of this most brilliant scientist.
San Cristóbal and Floreana, two beautifully preserved mockingbirds from the Galapagos Islands, welcome visitors at the entrance to the exhibition; it’s a well-suited place to begin; it was these birds that inspired Darwin to question the origin of species and evolution, which in turn prompted him to dedicate decades of his life to finding the answers.
At the age of 22, Darwin embarked on a five-year voyage across the world on board HMS Beagle surveying the coast of South America as a naturalist.
Courtesy of Denis Finnin, AMNH.
(Above) Horse Evolution. Casts of Hyracotherium and Merychippus and an original Equus specimen, which represent stages in the evolutionary path to living horses.
Never tired of studying the details of the natural world, and thrilled by chemistry, biology, botany and geology, Darwin collected thousands of specimens along the way and filled dozens of notebooks and journals with observations, many of which can be viewed in this exhibition.
Darwin later called his Beagle voyage “by far the most important event in my life” saying it “determined my whole career.”
That it certainly did. He grew from a promising inquisitive observer into a probing theorist, determined to explore and unravel the truth behind evolution and the mechanism of natural selection.
The First Edition of Origin of Species. © Denis Finnin, AMNH
On his return to England, Darwin spent much of his time at Down House, his family home in Kent, in a study-come-laboratory that has been reconstructed for the exhibition. It provides a real insight into the way he worked. The replica simply reflects the character of the man, unpretentious and intensely focused, set up for comfort and efficiency.
Darwin’s infamous chair, with wheels attached to the bottom so he could reach everything without having to get up, sits in a corner beside a table of ephemera including chemical bottles, a microscope, books and specimen bottles, once used by the theorist himself.
What is also great about this exhibition is the way it doesn’t just focus on Darwin as the revolutionary scientist; it looks at him as the family man, the husband, the father and the friend.
© Denis Finnin, AMNH
(Above) Darwin’s study. An elaborate reproduction of Charles Darwin’s study from Down House is one of the centerpiece attractions of Darwin.
Ever much the thinker, comical as it may seem, from his study he penned a ‘pros and cons of marriage’ list, to help him decide whether to marry his eventual wife, Emma. In the end, the pros outweighed the cons, and marriage was on the cards. They eventually had ten children, and much of Darwin’s knowledge and skills were passed on.
“It’s amazing to have so much Darwin material in one place,” explains Alex Gaffikin, exhibition developer at the Natural History Museum.
“This is a truly remarkable collection of family heirlooms and specimens that brings us all just a bit closer to the great man himself, as well as his family. We can almost feel like we explored the Galapagos ourselves.”
Darwin's chair was fixed with wheels to enable him to move about his study more freely. © Tara Booth / Culture24
After finishing Origin of Species, Darwin was so anxious about how it would be accepted by society, admitting it “felt like confessing a murder”.
It did create social upset, particularly within the Anglican Church and Creationists, and many friends and family members were troubled by Darwin’s radical theory.
In a letter, Adam Sedgwick, Darwin’s geology tutor at the University of Cambridge, said Darwin was “a good tempered and truth loving man, but the Origin gave him more pain than pleasure.”
Darwin’s emotional response, which is explored by the exhibition was to state: “I can only say that I have worked like a slave on the subject for above 20 years and I am not conscious that bad motive have influenced the conclusions at which I have aimed.”
Tree of Life. A reproduction of the first-known sketch by Charles Darwin of an evolutionary tree describing the relationships among groups of organisms. © By permission of the Syndics of Cambridge University Library
“I grieve to have shocked a man whom I sincerely honour. But I do not think you would wish anyone to conceal the results at which he has arrived after he has worked, according to the best ability which may be in him.”
Personal letters, manuscripts, fossils and specimens all attempt to piece together Darwin’s mind and journey into uncovering his theory and in presenting the world with a revolutionary investigation into the mechanics of his life and of evolution.
One of the most treasured pieces in the exhibition, besides the real iguana and horned frog (living examples of creatures once observed by Darwin), is the leather treasure box that once belonged to Darwin’s daughter Etty.
Etty's box features loose hairs from Darwin's beard. © NHM
It was discovered recently by Darwin’s great-great-grandson Randal Keynes, and contains precious family mementoes, including locks of hair from Etty and Annie, Darwin’s daughters, loose hairs fallen from Darwin’s beard wrapped in tissue paper and shells bought back from his Beagle voyage.
And what’s really remarkable, and what closes the exhibition, is the selection of Origin of Species books (including a rare first edition), translated into Arabic, Japanese, Braille and most recently, Icelandic, proving just how essential and important Darwin’s theory is, 150 years on.
There are also plenty of interactive and educational areas for children to learn about evolution; the iguana and horned frog are sure to entertain, while adults can marvel at the precious ephemera and installations on view.
It’s a fantastic exhibition, and provides a real insight into Darwin’s remarkable journey as well as the social and religious implications and modern reflections on the scientist’s theory.
The exhibition is running until April 19 2008. © Tara Booth / Culture24
Darwin is open from 10am – 5.30pm daily. Admission is £9 for adults, £4.50 for children, £6 concessions and £24 for a family ticket.
The exhibition is part of Darwin200, a national celebration of Charles Darwin’s scientific ideas and their impact. For further information about all the events visit the website www.darwin200.org
