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How did Darwin gather data for his work? What do his surviving letters reveal about him, both as a man and as a scientist? He often seems like a solitary figure, but was this really the case? This album looks at the Darwin Correspondence project, an enormous endeavour that has been running for over thirty years. Today the project web site contains over five thousand letters, and there are plans to more than double that number. Shelley Innes, a historian of science and Alison Pearn, the assistant director of the Darwin Correspondence project, talk about the letters and how in particular they offer great insights into Darwin the man and Darwin the collaborator. The tracks on this album were produced by The Open University in collaboration with the British Council. They form part of Darwin Now, a global initiative celebrating the life and work of Charles Darwin and the impact his ideas about evolution continue to have on today’s world. © British Council 2009.
Track 2: The Darwin Correspondence Project
An initiative set up at Cambridge University over thirty years ago. Since then, it has vastly expanded, hoping to draw in a wide range of audiences, both young and old.
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Tracks in this podcast:
| Track | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Darwin's world-wide web | A brief introduction to this album. Play now Darwin's world-wide web |
| 2 | The Darwin Correspondence Project | An initiative set up at Cambridge University over thirty years ago. Since then, it has vastly expanded, hoping to draw in a wide range of audiences, both young and old. Play now The Darwin Correspondence Project |
| 3 | Darwin the collaborator | The letters show that Darwin was a very generous correspondent, and in particular how positive he was to women scientists. Play now Darwin the collaborator |
| 4 | Darwin the mentor and family man | Darwin was very open minded and supportive, both of students whom he didn't know and of his own children. Play now Darwin the mentor and family man |
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