Kerry's loft

Originally posted at ouhos.org, the now-discontinued blog of the OU History of Science Collections. Neither this post nor any of its content should be taken as an official communication of the University of Oklahoma.

Darwin@the Library info | Exhibit brochure (pdf)

More than First Editions

To view all of Charles Darwin’s printed volumes in their first editions yields an unforgettable impression of the breadth and beauty of Darwin’s work. However, to support research, the Collections holds far more than just the first editions, for scholars need to see how editions of works were changed, and how translations differ. Darwinism in Germany was different than Darwinism in France or England or America, so hundreds of editions and translations have been collected. One unusual example is Darwin, Die Opshtamung fun Menschen (New York, 1926 [vol. title 1923]; The Descent of Man in Yiddish), F1139.

Another is a Norwegian edition of Origin of Species (1890) which is not listed in the Freeman Bibliography.

The Portrait collections include several depictions of Darwin, including a Darwin caricature from Vanity Fair magazine (Sept 30, 1871).

Also available in the History of Science Collections are the journals in which Darwin published his articles, the works of Darwin’s contemporaries and recent books about Darwin that support current scholarship in the history of science. With the resources of the Darwin Collection at your fingertips, the History of Science Collections of the University of Oklahoma Libraries offers an ideal place to read and study Charles Darwin.

More than Printed Works

Through making its holdings available both on-site and through various digital projects, the purpose of the History of Science Collections is to facilitate research in the University of Oklahoma Libraries and beyond.

The Collections holds eight handwritten Darwin letters:

1. To J. B. Jukes, 6 December, 1838. DCP-LETT-453.
2. To J. B. Jukes, 25 December, 1838. DCP-LETT-461.
3. To J. B. Jukes [18 October, 1846]. DCP-LETT-1010.
4. To J. B. Jukes, 8 October [1847]. DCP-LETT-1125.
5. To James Orton, 23 January [1869]. DCP-LETT-6570. 1869-Jan23
6. To James Orton, 7 October [1869]. DCP-LETT-6925. 1869-Oct7
7. To James Orton, 24 February [1870]. DCP-LETT-7116. 1870-Feb24
8. To Robert Garner, 22 February [1864, 1870 or 1871]. DCP-LETT-7115F. Feb22

OU is a major contributor to Cambridge University’s Darwin Online. Having provided digital versions of nearly 40 obscure editions, the Collections’ contribution is second only to Cambridge itself.

Darwin@the Library info | Exhibit brochure (pdf)

Originally posted at ouhos.org, the now-discontinued blog of the OU History of Science Collections. Neither this post nor any of its content should be taken as an official communication of the University of Oklahoma.

Darwin@the Library info | Exhibit brochure (pdf)

Charles Darwin’s 22 printed volumes are listed below in chronological order, linked to high resolution versions in the University of Oklahoma Libraries History of Science Collections’ Online Galleries:

1. Darwin, Zoology of the Voyage of the Beagle, vol. 1 (F8.1), vol. 2 (F8.2), vol. 3 (F8.3) (1838-43). More info.
2. Darwin, Journal of Researches (1839), F11.
• For an illustrated edition, see: Darwin, Journal of Researches (Voyage of the Beagle, 1890 edition), F64.
3. Darwin, The Structure and Distribution of Coral Reefs (1842), F271.
4. Darwin, Geological Observations on the Volcanic Islands (1844), F272.
5. Darwin, Geological Observations on South America (1846), F273.
6. Darwin, Monograph on the Sub-Class Cirripedia: The Lepadidae; or, Pedunculated Cirripedes (1851), F339.1.
7. Darwin, Monograph on the Sub-Class Cirripedia: The Balanidae (or Sessile Cirripedes); The Verrucidae, etc. (1854), F339.2.
   • See also: Darwin and Wallace, Three papers on natural selection (1858)
8. Darwin, On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection (1859), F373.
9. Darwin, On the Various Contrivances by which British and Foreign Orchids are Fertilised by Insects (1862), F800.
10. Darwin, Variation of Animals and Plants under Domestication, 2 vols. (1868), vol. 1, F878.1 and vol. 2, F878.2.
11. Darwin, Descent of Man, and Selection in relation to Sex, 2 vols. (1871), vol. 1, F937.1.; and vol. 2, F937.2.
12. Darwin, Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals (1872), F1142.
13. Darwin, Insectivorous Plants (1875), F1218.
14. Darwin, Movements and Habits of Climbing Plants (1875), F836.
15. Darwin, Effects of Cross and Self-Fertilisation in the Vegetable Kingdom (1876), F1249.
16. Darwin, Different Forms of Flowers on Plants of the Same Species (1877), F1277.
17. Darwin, Power of Movement in Plants (1880), F1325.
18. Darwin, Formation of Vegetable Mould, through the Action of Worms (1881), F1357.

Bibliographic note:
With the exception of the Zoology of the Voyage of H.M.S. Beagle, all Darwin first editions were published in London by John Murray. An exact description for each title can be found using the indicated Freeman number (F#), which refers to its entry in the Freeman Bibliography, the standard description for Darwin editions.

Additional volume:

• Ernst Krause, Erasmus Darwin. Translated from the German by W.S. Dallas. With a Preliminary Notice by Charles Darwin. London, John Murray, 1879.
  This work, although cataloged under Krause (consistent with Krause’s top billing on the title page), contains a 126-page “preliminary notice” by Charles Darwin on the life of his grandfather, Erasmus. Krause’s own essay is only 86 pages, so the majority of the work is actually by Charles Darwin.

Published posthumously:
Darwin, Life and Letters, 3 vols. (1887):

• vol. 1 (incl. Autobiography), F1453.1;
• vol. 2, F1453.2;
• vol. 3, F1453.3.

What is a “first edition”?
Any attempted numerical count of Darwin first editions swiftly encounters ambiguities. Here are a few of the questions that arise:

2. Should posthumous works be included? Darwin’s Autobiography was not published during his lifetime, but first published along with his letters – the total is 23 if you count that, or 25 if you count all 3 volumes of the Life and Letters that includes the Autobiography. To have it both ways, we have chosen to place these 3 volumes on display in the Darwin@the Libraries exhibit, although we are not counting them among the 22 volumes published by Darwin himself.

3. Does “first edition” imply “first edition in book form”? When we offer 22 as the numerical count, we’re not including Darwin’s more than 200 articles, chapters and short essays. Yet the line between articles and printed volumes often blurs. For example, one book-length work was first published as an article in a journal (not on display) and then reprinted as a book (on display, #14 above). Which one is the “first edition”? Or should we include Darwin’s “preliminary notice” to Krause’s biography of Erasmus Darwin, since Darwin’s contribution makes up the majority of the published book?

4. Should one count titles or volumes? The list above includes 18 titles in 22 volumes. Yet the Zoology (#1 above) was issued over six years in 19 numbered parts. In this respect, it was more like a journal than a book. Afterward, the printer gave instructions for binding the 19 parts in either 3 or 5 volumes. The OU copy is bound in 3 volumes, but the count would be increased by 2 if we happened to hold a copy of the very same pages bound in 5 volumes.

So the idea of counting Darwin first editions is not as straightforward as it sounds. Does your count equal ours?

Regardless of how you count them, come see them all in the Darwin@the Library exhibit.

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Originally posted at ouhos.org, the now-discontinued blog of the OU History of Science Collections. Neither this post nor any of its content should be taken as an official communication of the University of Oklahoma.

Darwin@the Library info | Exhibit brochure (pdf)

While nearly everyone has heard of Charles Darwin’s Origin of Species, not everyone is aware of the beauty and breadth of Darwin’s works. In his own lifetime, Darwin was known as a voyager, geologist, species theorist and botanist.

Darwin’s reputation as a scientist rested upon his observational skills and his theoretical vision. Yet no scientist works in isolation, and Darwin spent much of his time writing. Darwin engaged in lengthy correspondence with scientists around the world, requesting and receiving observations from others, and presenting his ideas in letters before advancing them more definitively in print. Darwin’s prodigious correspondence contributed greatly to his productivity as an author.

Darwin’s study

Darwin was a tireless writer who penned an estimated 15,000 letters, authored more than 200 articles and published 22 printed volumes (not including his posthumously-published Autobiography). Most of the printed volumes went through multiple editions and translations.

Few persons ever experience the opportunity to view first editions of Darwin’s printed volumes together at once. As you do so in this Darwin@the Library exhibit, we invite you to gain a renewed sense of the beauty of nature, the beauty of old books, and the breadth of Darwin’s contributions to natural science.

Darwin wrote about a staggering number of topics in a wide variety of fields, drawing them together in a comprehensive vision of remarkable depth and originality. His books are beautiful examples of 19th-century natural science.

Click the YouTube link below to watch a brief video about the OU Libraries History of Science Collections Darwin holdings:

Darwin@the Library info | Exhibit brochure (pdf)

Originally posted at ouhos.org, the now-discontinued blog of the OU History of Science Collections. Neither this post nor any of its content should be taken as an official communication of the University of Oklahoma.

Darwin@theLibrary, a new exhibit in the lobby of the History of Science Collections, opens today in recognition of the Evolution Conference at OU (beginning June 17th).

A complete set of first editions of printed books by Charles Darwin were displayed for public viewing throughout the fall of 2009 in Darwin@the Museum, a joint exhibition with the Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History. With this Darwin@the Library special exhibition, we are pleased to again make the Darwin holdings available to the public.

To view all of Darwin’s printed volumes in their first editions yields an unforgettable impression of the breadth and beauty of Darwin’s work.

Blog posts related to this exhibit:

1. Darwin@the Library: Exhibit announcement (this post).
2. Works of Charles Darwin: Breadth and Beauty
3. Darwin First Editions
   • Includes: What is a “first edition”?
4. The OU Darwin collection
5. H.M.S. Beagle
6. Charles Darwin, Zoology of the Voyage of H.M.S. Beagle (1838-1843)
7. Charles Darwin, Journal of Researches (1839), and Voyage of the Beagle (1890)
8. Charles Darwin: Geologist (1842, 1844, 1846)
9. Darwin and Barnacles (1851, 1854)
10. Darwin, Origin of Species (1859)
11. Darwin on Orchids (1862)
12. Darwin, Variation of Animals and Plants under Domestication (1868)
13. Darwin, Descent of Man (1871)
14. Darwin, Expression of the Emotions (1872)
15. Charles Darwin, Botanist
16. Charles Darwin, Soil Ecologist (1881)

Download an exhibit brochure (pdf, 68 MB).

No appointment is necessary; the exhibit will be available for viewing through June and July 2011. The exhibit is open during the regular hours of the History of Science Collections, which is located on the 5th floor of Bizzell Library. For accommodations on the basis of disability, call 405/325-2741.

Originally posted at ouhos.org, the now-discontinued blog of the OU History of Science Collections. Neither this post nor any of its content should be taken as an official communication of the University of Oklahoma.

• Current Exhibit: Chemistry: From Alchemy to Radioactivity
  • Brochure
  • Scavenger hunt

We are delighted to add a rare work to the History of Science Collections in tribute to the OU Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and the School of Chemical, Biological and Materials Engineering on the occasion of the International Year of Chemistry.

The Chymical Wedding of Christian Rosencreutz, an alchemical parable published anonymously in 1616, was one of three publications of the so-called “Rosicrucian brotherhood.” This little book, later discovered to be the work of Lutheran theologian and chymist Johann Valentin Andreae, was one of the most notable publications related to chemistry and to the reform of science in the first half of the 17th century. The sensation that these Rosicrucian publications generated, both positive and negative, “shook Europe for half a century” (see below).

This work is currently on display as part of the Chemistry exhibit.

WorldCat records 8 copies of this issue, and 16 copies of the other three issues of the volume. Here is the collation of the OU copy:

[Andreae, Johann Valentin] Chymische Hochzeit: Christiani Rosencreutz. Anno 1459. Arcana publicata vilescunt: & gratiam prophanata amittunt. Ergo: ne Margaritas obvce porcis, seu Asino substernerosas. Strassburg/ In Verlagerung/ Lazari Zetzners S. Erben. Anno m. dc. xvi. Octavo. 143 pages; A8-I8. Leaf I8 recto with colophon: Strassburg/ Bey Conrad Scher/ Im Jahr/ m. dc. xvi.

The parable recounted in the Chymische Hochzeit involves an elderly man named Christian Rosencreutz, who unexpectedly finds himself invited to a royal wedding. The invitation, which displays the Monas hieroglyphica of John Dee (above), is delivered to him by an angel who blasts loudly on a trumpet. After an arduous journey on foot, Rosencreutz barely reaches the castle in time to be admitted. Readers won’t forget the almost heart-breaking humility and modesty with which he conducts himself through the trials that he and the other guests must endure on each of the story’s seven days, leading finally to the accomplishment of the alchemical Great Work. Rosencreutz almost cannot believe that he has been deemed worthy to attend such an event, and before each trial believes himself unable to overcome it; indeed, most of the guests prove unworthy, and are expelled after the trials of the first two days. This vividly-told story is rich in details and wonders, such as the enigmatical play that the guests watch with the king and queen on the fourth day, and Rosencreutz’s illicit visit to the beautiful underground crypt of Venus on the morning of the fifth day. The journey to an island on a fleet of seven ships later during the fifth day lends the story an epic feel; and it is on this island that the few remaining guests gradually ascend through each floor of a tower while accomplishing the sequential stages of an alchemical operation on the sixth day.

The text is an exemplary alchemical parable and the principal Rosicrucian myth. It also has significance within the corpus of Andreae’s religio-philosophical, utopian, and Rosicrucian writings, in addition to being an interesting example of early-modern German fiction. The authorship of this anonymously published text remained unknown until the autobiography of the Protestant theologian Johann Valentin Andreae (1586-1654) was finally printed in the eighteenth century, in which Andreae confesses to have written the Chymische Hochzeit when he was around fifteen years of age (i.e. 1601-1602).

Arthur Edward Waite, one of the first to attempt an impartial study of the history of the Rosicrucian movement, believed the entire Rosicrucian controversy to center on this publication. Appearing just two years after the earliest-known publication of the Fama fraternitatis, and one year after the Confessio fraternitatis, the Chymische Hochzeit was assumed to represent the third of the so-called Rosicrucian Manifestos. As three anonymously-published works appeared in three consecutive years, it seemed to many contemporary readers to announce a serious movement. An emphasis on spiritual and scientific reform is a common thread that runs throughout these three otherwise very different documents. The sensation that these Rosicrucian publications generated, both positive and negative, shook Europe for half a century.

To the modern historian, the disturbance associated with the “Rosicrucian furor” seems consistent with the religious and social unrest that gripped Europe at that time, including the Thirty-Years War and the Galenist-Chymical-Paracelsian debates in medicine and science. Perhaps no other subject directly involves the histories of science, medicine, religion, and politics as does that of the Rosicrucian movement.

The Chymische Hochzeit: Christiani Rosencreütz was probably printed four times in 1616, the different versions being distinguishable by the text of the title page and colophon, and/or the number of pages. The versions that are usually regarded as the first and second editions (though they may simply be different impressions or states) differ in the details of their title page and colophon, but both have 146 pages of text. The present exemplar is generally thought to represent the third edition, differing in title page, colophon and the number of pages (143) from the two previously mentioned. A fourth issue, also of 146 pages, has a colophon that reads “First printed by Lazarus Zetzner in 1616,” thus introducing uncertainty as to its true date of publication. It is curious that the book was issued three times with 146 pages, but only once with 143. Each of these separate issues is very rare, as is the English edition of 1690.

We thank historian of chemistry John Norris for assistance with this description.