ABOUT THIS SITE


     

Like all theoretical biologists, I owe an enormous debt to Darwin. His theories of 'natural selection' and 'sexual selection' provide the rock-solid base from which to explore the evolution of behaviour and complexity. Even after 145 years, all theoretical biology is based on extrapolating the ideas in The Origin of Species - it remains the essential starting point for all new biological theory. But as well as providing an invaluable touchstone that guided my research on the second evolutionary process, Darwin also provided an equally important personal inspiration.  His honesty, humility, personal courage and excitement for discovery were equally inspirational. As well as being a celebration of Darwin's extraordinary life and an insight into his inner world, the web site is intended as a visual resource for scholars, educators and students. The object is to gather into a single online database every photograph, sketch and painting ever taken of Darwin. The site quotes extensively from a short autobiography Darwin wrote in 1876, ostensibly for his children, but obviously written with an eye for posterity. I took the photos of Down House in July, 2004. Feel free to download them for personal use. Some can be set as wallpaper. The small monochrome icons are all illustrations from Darwin's various publications.

         

PICTURE  CEEDITS  AND  ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The C. Warren Irvin, Jr., Collection of Charles Darwin and Darwiniana, The University of South Carolina. Oxford University. Cambridge University Library Edinburgh University. Natural History Museum, London. John van Wyhe The Linda Hall Library History of Science Collection National Portrait Gallery. English Heritage.