The drawing of Charles Darwin is based on a photograph by Henry Maull and John Fox that might have been taken in 1854. More likely, though, the photo was taken in1859 or 1860 when Darwin was 51. It shows Darwin reading the (lost) letter of October 10, 1856 from Alfred Russell Wallace.
Here is a portion of Darwin’s reply of May 1, 1857:
Down Bromley Kent
May 1.— 1857
My dear Sir
I am much obliged for your letter of Oct. 10th. from Celebes received a few days ago… I can plainly see that we have thought much alike & to a certain extent have come to similar conclusions. In regard to the Paper in Annals, I agree to the truth of almost every word of your paper; & I daresay that you will agree with me that it is very rare to find oneself agreeing pretty closely with any theoretical paper; for it is lamentable how each man draws his own different conclusions from the very same fact.—
This summer will make the 20th year (!) since I opened my first-note-book, on the question how & in what way do species & varieties differ from each other. —
I am now preparing my work for publication, but I find the subject so very large, that though I have written many chapters, I do not suppose I shall go to press for two years.—
[I’ve often wondered what it must have felt like to read that letter and what might have happened had it been lost in transit.]
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