Nov 27, 2020 12:05:00

Darwin's notebook with ideas about 'evolution' disappears from the library, possibly stolen

Charles Darwin , a British natural scientist, is known for publishing 'On the Origin of Species ', advocating the theory that various species have evolved into their present form through natural selection . The University of Cambridge Library announced on November 24, 2020 that a valuable notebook containing the idea of Darwin's 'On the Origin of Species' could have been lost and stolen.

Darwin's missing notebooks
https://www.cam.ac.uk/stories/DarwinAppeal

Giant Search Confirms Charles Darwin's Notebooks Are Missing, Presumed Stolen
https://www.sciencealert.com/charles-darwin-notebooks-stolen-from-cambridge-university-20-years-ago

Cambridge University says Darwin's iconic notebooks, missing for years, were stolen
https://www.nbcnews.com/science/science-news/cambridge-university-says-darwin-s-iconic-notebooks-missing-years-were-n1248985

An important event for Darwin to advocate the theory of evolution and natural selection was to board the Royal Navy's survey vessel Beagle, which left England at the end of 1831, and toured all over the world. During his voyage, Darwin felt the differences in fauna and flora in the Southern Hemisphere and began to think that the species of organisms may not be immutable.

Returning to Japan in October 1836, Darwin wrote in a leather notebook in the summer of 1837 a sketch called the Tree of Life, which showed the potential for divergence of species, and a pioneering idea of evolution. The picture below is the 'Tree of Life' actually written in Darwin's notebook. Darwin developed this idea and announced 'On the Origin of Species' in 1859, more than 20 years after the voyage.

by Charles Darwin / University of Cambridge

The University of Cambridge Library has one of the world's most important collections of Darwin, one of which is particularly rare and valuable in a special collection called 'Special Collections Strong Rooms.' In this vault, a notebook named ' Notebook B ' with the 'Tree of Life' was stored in the same box as the notebook named ' Notebook C '.

During a regular inspection in January 2001, it was discovered that the paperback- sized box containing Notebook B and Notebook C had not been returned to the proper location and that two notebooks were missing. A detailed investigation revealed that it had not been returned to the vault since it was taken out during the photo shoot in September 2000.

Initially, these notebooks were thought to be somewhere in the vast Cambridge Library, but over the years no two notebooks were found. In early 2020, the University of Cambridge Library mobilized professional staff to search a wide area, including shelves containing Darwinian materials, which stretched for about 100 meters in a straight line. However, the largest search in library history did not find any notes, and the University of Cambridge Library concluded that 'the notes were lost and may have been stolen.'

The University of Cambridge Library celebrated the loss of Darwin's precious notes in November 2020, in line with the ' Evolution Day ' enacted to commemorate the publication of 'On the Origin of Species' on November 24, 1859. Announced on the official website on the 24th of March. He has already reported to the Cambridgeshire Police that his notebook may have been lost and stolen, and has also registered it in the stolen cultural property database 'Psyche' managed by the International Criminal Police Organization (ICPO) .

Regarding the value of the lost notebook, the University of Cambridge Library commented, 'It is difficult to estimate the value of a notebook, but it will probably reach millions of pounds.' Dr. Jessica Gardner, a university librarian and library service director since 2017, said, 'I'm afraid that the notes containing Darwin's iconic Tree of Life are missing.' He stated that he would devote himself to the discovery.

Dr. Gardner argues that public appeal can bring notes back to life, and wants to gather information about the whereabouts of notes from past staff, book industry stakeholders, researchers, and the general public. I am complaining. In addition, the entire Cambridge University Library has a shelf of 210 km, and the straight line distance of the shelf is 45 km even in 'Special Collections Strong Rooms' alone, so it is possible that it is still placed somewhere in the library. In many cases, the materials are contained in boxes, and it is expected that it will take several more years to search the entire range.

'People who know the whereabouts of these precious cultural properties are calling on us to contact us,' said Sharon Barrel of the Cambridgeshire Police Department. Notes are very much for those interested in college and the history of science. It is valuable and important, 'he said, and is seeking information from the general public.

Both Notebook B and Notebook C have digital archives, so you can see the contents from the official page of the University of Cambridge Library.

Darwin Manuscripts: Notebook B
https://cudl.lib.cam.ac.uk/view/MS-DAR-00121/1

Darwin Manuscripts: Notebook C
https://cudl.lib.cam.ac.uk/view/MS-DAR-00122/1