After Charles Darwin published On the Origin of Species in 1859, he spent much of the next two decades conducting research into plant-breeding and other botanical topics, eventually publishing six books on topics ranging from orchids to insect-eating species to the habits of climbing plants.
Housed at the Museum, the Darwin Manuscripts Project (DMP) recently received a three-year grant from the National Science Foundation through its Science, Technology, and Society Division to transcribe Darwin's botanical manuscripts—which include notes, rough drafts of books, letters, sketches, and more.
Never before published, these transcriptions will eventually be displayed online side-by-side with the corresponding high-resolution and full-color images currently being digitized from the originals at Cambridge University Library.
Learn more in a blog post from the Museum’s Library.