A collaboration between Cambridge University Library, the Natural History Museum, the Linnean Society of London, English Heritage’s Down House, the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and the National Library of Scotland, the Charles Darwin documentary heritage archive provides a unique window into the life and work of one of the world’s most influential natural scientists.
The complete archive, comprising over 20,000 items across the six major institutions, includes Darwin’s records illustrating the development of his ground-breaking theory of evolution and extensive global travels.
At Cambridge University Library, the Darwin Archive is a significant collection of Darwin’s books, experimental notes, correspondence, and photographs, representing his scientific and personal activities throughout his life.
A collaboration between Cambridge University Library, the Natural History Museum, the Linnean Society of London, English Heritage’s Down House, the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and the National Library of Scotland, the Charles Darwin documentary heritage archive provides a unique window into the life and work of one of the world’s most influential natural scientists.
The complete archive, comprising over 20,000 items across the six major institutions, includes Darwin’s records illustrating the development of his ground-breaking theory of evolution and extensive global travels.
At Cambridge University Library, the Darwin Archive is a significant collection of Darwin’s books, experimental notes, correspondence, and photographs, representing his scientific and personal activities throughout his life.
The collection in Cambridge includes Darwin’s pocket notebooks recording early statements of key ideas contributing to his theory of evolution, notably that species are not stable. These provide important insights into the development of his thought and feature the iconic ‘Tree of Life’ diagram which he drew on his return from the voyage of the HMS Beagle.
The Linnean Society of London holds several of Darwin’s letters, manuscripts and books. Here is also home to John Collier’s original iconic portrait of Charles Darwin, commissioned by the Society and painted in 1883 to commemorate the first reading of the theory of evolution by natural selection at a Linnean Society meeting in 1858.
At the Natural History Museum, a letter written to his wife Emma in 1844, provides insight into Darwin’s perceived significance of his species theory research and holds instructions on what she should do in the case of his sudden death. This is alongside other letters to Museum staff and other family members which demonstrate the broad scope of his scientific thinking, research and communication ranging from caterpillars to volcanoes, dahlias to ants and the taking of photographs for his third publication Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals.
Correspondence with Darwin’s publisher John Murray, held at the National Library of Scotland document the transformation of his research into print, including the ground-breaking On the Origin of Species publication.
At the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, documents include a highly significant collection of 44 letters sent around the HMS Beagle expedition from Darwin to Professor John Stevens Henslow, detailing his travels and the genesis of his theory of evolution as he comes in contact with new plants, wildlife and fossils; as well as a rare sketch of the orchid Gavilea patagonica made by Darwin. Other items include a letter from Darwin to his dear friend Joseph Hooker, Director of Kew in which he requests cotton seeds from Kew’s collections for his research.
Down House (English Heritage) in Kent was both a family home and a place of work where Darwin pursued his scientific interests, carried out experiments, and researched and wrote his many ground-breaking publications until his death in 1882.
The extensive collection amassed by Darwin during his 40 years at Down paint a picture of Darwin’s professional and personal life and the intersection of the two. The archive here includes over 200 books from Darwin’s personal collection, account books, diaries, the Journal of the Voyage of the Beagle MSS, and Beagle notebooks and letters. More personal items include scrapbooks, Emma Darwin’s photograph album and Charles Darwin’s will. The collection at Down House has been mainly assembled through the generous donations of Darwin’s descendants.
This inscription marks a significant milestone in recognising Darwin’s legacy, as it brings together materials held by multiple institutions across the UK for the first time, ensuring that his work’s scientific, cultural, and historical value is preserved for future generations.
In line with the ideals of the UNESCO Memory of the World Programme, much of the Darwin archive can be viewed by the public at the partner institutions and locations.
The UNESCO International Memory of the World Register includes some of the UK’s most treasured documentary heritage, such as the Domesday Book, the Shakespeare Documents, alongside more contemporary materials, including the personal archive of Sir Winston Churchill. The Charles Darwin archive now joins this esteemed list, underscoring its historical, scientific, and cultural significance.
The inscription of the Charles Darwin archive comes as part of UNESCO’s latest recognition of 75 archives worldwide onto the International Memory of the World Register.
These newly inscribed collections include a diverse range of documents, such as the Draft of the International Bill of Human Rights, the papers of Friedrich Nietzche, and the Steles of Shaolin Temple (566-1990) in China.
Kiri Ross-Jones, Senior Archivist and Records Manager at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, says: ‘Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew is delighted to be part of this historic collaboration bringing together the libraries and archives that hold such a significant piece of the UK’s heritage. The treasures in our archive of over seven million items now have the international recognition they merit, along with the other Darwin collections. We are excited that archives are being placed at the forefront by UNESCO so that people all over the world can now enjoy them as much as we have.’
Charles Darwin drew this sketch of the orchid Gavilea patagonica in pencil. © RBG Kew
Notes to Editors:
About Charles Darwin:
Charles Darwin was born on 12 February 1809 in Shrewsbury. He graduated from the University of Cambridge in 1831 and was recommended by the Professor of Botany John Stevens Henslow to Robert Fitzroy, commander of HM Sloop Beagle, as a naturalist to sail on a hydrographical voyage Fitzroy was to make in South American waters.
Returning from the Beagle circumnavigation in 1836, Darwin published the ‘Journal of Researches during the Voyage of HMS Beagle’, soon married his cousin Emma Wedgwood and, in 1842, moved to the Kent village of Down, where he spent the rest of his life.
Darwin was living at Down House when he published ‘On the Origin of Species by means of Natural Selection’ in 1859, as well as a series of monographs in botany, entomology and anthropology.
By the late 1860s, Darwinism became a powerful ideology across nations and cultures; it remains so to this day. Darwin’s name and theory have been used in many different ways to promote social and political movements, and to oppose or support different religions.
Dawin’s theory is not only one of the most influential scientific theories of all time, it is also an inspiring example of best scientific practice. Darwin is known as a great theorist and careful observer. He was also a rigorous and ingenious experimenter. The archive is a unique resource for reconstructing the working practices behind his published work.
His correspondence with his sons, William, George, and Francis, are full of insights into his methods and the importance of patience, perseverance, and caution in experimentation, demonstration, and argument. In addition to developing theories of natural selection and sexual selection, he made significant specific contributions to scientific understanding of the natural world, from discovering that insectivorous plants derive nutrition from digesting the insects they capture, to working out the significant role of earthworms in breaking down plant matter to create fertile topsoil.
Darwin is one of the most significant, if not the most significant, figure in the history of biology for many working today. His theory to explain the origin of all organisms established a new paradigm for the biological sciences, generating explanations in existing fields like taxonomy and making new questions possible by the application of new methods (e.g. in population biology and population genetics) and technologies (e.g. genome sequencing).
His attention to the dynamic relationships between organisms and their environments, and the co-dependence of organisms with each other, are of great importance to current research on biodiversity, the complexity of habitats, and the fragility of ecosystems.
His iconic status is shown by the numerous events organised internationally for the 2009 celebration for the 150th anniversary of the publication of Origin of Species and the 200th anniversary of his birth. In this context, Darwin plays a continuing role in ongoing debates about science in education and culture.
About the UNESCO Memory of the World Programme:
The UNESCO Memory of the World Programme is a global initiative to safeguard the world’s documentary heritage against collective amnesia, the ravages of war, decay and deterioration.
In 1993 a United Nations committee met to plan how to preserve significant documentary heritage from across the globe by cataloguing and protecting historical archives for future generations to learn from and enjoy.
Considered to be documentary heritage equivalent of UNESCO World Heritage Sites, the UNESCO Memory of the World Programme’s mission is to focus world attention on the need to safeguard endangered and unique library and archive collections and make them accessible to everyone.
The full list of Memory of the World inscriptions from the UK is available on the UK National Commission for UNESCO website: www.unesco.org.uk/our-sites/memory-of-the-world
About the nomination process and UK National Commission for UNESCO
The successful nomination to the UNESCO International Memory of the World Register was led in collaboration with the UK National Commission for UNESCO (UKNC), the official body that supports and oversees the UK’s engagement with UNESCO.
Working closely with the UK Government, the UKNC provided strategic guidance and support throughout the application process, ensuring alignment with UNESCO’s rigorous standards and helping to unite institutions across the UK in recognition of Darwin’s enduring legacy.
The UK National Commission for UNESCO (UKNC) is a constitutional part of the UK’s membership of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO). An independent body, UKNC is core-funded by the UK Government primarily to bring the benefits of UNESCO programmes and international agreements to the UK government, academic community and broader civil society. It also ensures that these elements fully contribute to and shape UNESCO’s global aims and activities.
About the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew is a world-famous scientific organisation, internationally respected for its outstanding collections and scientific expertise in plant and fungal diversity, conservation, and sustainable development in the UK and around the globe. Kew’s scientists and partners lead the way in the fight against biodiversity loss and finding nature-based solutions to the climate crisis, aided by five key scientific priorities outlined in Kew’s Science Strategy 2021-2025. Kew Gardens is also a major international and top London visitor attraction. Kew’s 132 hectares of historic, landscaped gardens, and Wakehurst, Kew’s Wild Botanic Garden and ‘living laboratory’, attract over 2.5 million visits every year. Kew Gardens was made a UNESCO World Heritage Site in July 2003 and celebrated its 260th anniversary in 2019. Wakehurst is home to the Millennium Seed Bank, the largest wild plant seed bank in the world and a safeguard against the disastrous effects of climate change and biodiversity loss. RBG Kew received approximately one third of its funding from Government through the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and research councils. Further funding needs to support RBG Kew’s vital scientific and educational work comes from donors, memberships and commercial activity including ticket sales. For tickets, please visit www.kew.org/kew-gardens/visit-kew-gardens/tickets. In the first six months since implementing a new accessibility scheme for those in receipt of Universal Credit, Pension Credit and Legacy Benefits, Kew has welcomed over 100,000 visitors with £1 tickets.
About Kew Science
Kew Science is the driving force behind RBG Kew’s mission to understand and protect plants and fungi, for the well-being of people and the future of all life on Earth. Over 550 Kew science staff work with partners in more than 100 countries worldwide to halt biodiversity loss, uncover secrets of the natural world, and to conserve and restore the extraordinary diversity of plants and fungi. Kew’s Science Strategy 2021–2025 lays out five scientific priorities to aid these goals: research into the protection of biodiversity through Ecosystem Stewardship, understanding the variety and evolution of traits in plants and fungi through Trait Diversity and Function; digitising and sharing tools to analyse Kew’s scientific collections through Digital Revolution; using new technologies to speed up the naming and characterisation of plants and fungi through Accelerated Taxonomy; and cultivating new scientific and commercial partnerships in the UK and globally through Enhanced Partnerships. One of Kew’s greatest international collaborations is the Millennium Seed Bank Partnership, which has to date stored more than 2.4 billion seeds of over 40,000 wild species of plants across the globe. In 2023, Kew scientists estimated in the State of the World’s Plants and Fungi report that 3 in 4 undescribed plants globally are already likely threatened with extinction.