JF Ptak Science Books   Quick Post

I came upon these volumes unexpectedly on the Internet Archives via the Biodiversity Library website–the Charles Darwin library section. No doubt these are very well known to people more familiar with Darwin than I, but, well, I have never seen them before, and I think they’re fantastic. 

[Source: Internet Archive/Darwin’s Library, contributed by Cambridge University, https://archive.org/details/darwinslibrary?&sort=-downloads&page=4]

The book:  A sketch of modern and ancient geography for the use of schools, by Samuel Butler, published in 1818, was the copy owned by Charles Darwin. the front and rear free endpapers are rather covered with the doodles of the young Charles Darwin, who among other things practices his signature with his young hand. It vividly shows that Charles Darwin was a child just like every great person was, once upon a time, and shared similar practices and characteristics of any other young human being.  

Please note: the images are much more expandable at the Biodiversity website.  

[Source: Internet Archive/Darwin’s Library, contributed by Cambridge University, https://archive.org/details/darwinslibrary?&sort=-downloads&page=4]