No Foolin'

Damien Ihrig, MA, MLIS
Curator, John Martin Rare Book Room

April in Iowa City can only mean one thing: Iowa City Darwin Day: Science Fest! Named after the famed nineteenth-century scientist Charles Darwin, Iowa City Darwin Day: Science Fest is "a grand celebration of science and its many contributions to humanity." In honor of this Iowa City tradition, we highlight Darwin's monumental work, On the origin of species by means of natural selection.

There is not enough room in this tiny newsletter to capture the full picture of Darwin the person, the seismic effect Origin has had on science and society, or the controversies around Darwin's work and legacy. For more, please check out these Darwin Day guides from the UI Science Library (2019, 2020, 2021, 2023) and the Iowa City Darwin Day website.

Charles Robert Darwin (1809-1882), an English naturalist, biologist, and geologist is best known for his theory of evolution through natural selection. He was born on February 12, 1809, to Susannah and Robert Darwin.

Darwin's father was a wealthy and successful physician, who hoped Charles would follow in his footsteps. Darwin was more interested in natural history, though, and spent much of his youth collecting specimens and exploring the countryside around his home.

In 1825, at the age of 16, he was sent to the University of Edinburgh to study medicine, but he quickly realized that medicine was not his passion. He disliked surgery in particular and found medical lectures boring. He was drawn to natural history and geology instead.

In 1828, his father transferred him to the University of Cambridge to study divinity with the hope that he would become an Anglican clergyman.

During his time at Cambridge, Darwin met several scientists who would become important influences in his life. The botanist John Stevens Henslow became a mentor to Darwin and encouraged him to develop his interest in natural history.

After completing his studies at Cambridge in 1831, Henslow recommended Darwin for the position of naturalist aboard the HMS Beagle, which was set to sail on a five-year expedition to South America and the Pacific. The purpose of the expedition was to chart territories unexplored by westerners, study geology and natural history, and collect specimens for scientific study.

His work on the voyage would inform his most famous and influential work, On the origin of species by means of natural selection, published in 1859, and forever change science and our understanding of life on earth.

I, naturally, hope you select to read more below on this (r)evolutionary work.

But first, a quick plug for the 2023 Annual John Martin Rare Book Room Open House. It is scheduled for May 3rd and will feature some amazing books on women's health and books by and about women practitioners. I'm excited to announce that we will also have an invited speaker, Greta Nettleton. More details below. We would love to see you there!

Stay well and happy reading!

Hours

The Room is available Monday-Thursday, 8:30-5:00 (U.S. Central) and Friday by appointment. Face masks are welcome and KN95 masks are available for free to all visitors. To guarantee the Room is available, please contact me at damien-ihrig@uiowa.edu or 319-335-9154.

All times are Central

Wednesday, May 3 from 3:00 - 7:00 pm
2023 Annual John Martin Rare Book Room Open House
With featured speaker, Greta Nettleton
JMRBR (446 Hardin Library) and 401 Hardin Library

Join us on May 3, 2023, from 3:00-7:00 for the annual John Martin Rare Book Room Open House with featured speaker Greta Nettleton. The open house will run from 3:00-6:00 and highlight historical works on women’s health and those by or about women practitioners, including new acquisitions.

Ms. Nettleton, the author of The Quack’s Daughter: A True Story About the Private Life of a Victorian College Girl, published by the University of Iowa Press in 2014, will speak from 6:00-7:00 about THE GREAT FORGETTING: The Prominent Role of Women in 19th-century Midwestern Medicine. Her talk will dig into the history of the University of Iowa College of Medicine, the first fully co-educational medical school in the nation, and the hidden history of its first female graduates.

This event is free and open to the public. For all questions, please contact Damien Ihrig at damien-ihrig@uiowa.edu.

Book of the Month

DARWIN, CHARLES (1809-1882). On the origin of species by means of natural selection. Printed in London by John Murray, 1859. 502 pages. 20 cm tall.

During the voyage of the HMS Beagle, Darwin collected a vast number of specimens and made numerous observations about the natural world. He also began to develop his theory of evolution through natural selection, based on his observations of the diversity of plant and animal life he encountered.

After returning to England in 1836, Darwin spent many years studying his collections and organizing his observations. He also began to correspond with other scientists, sharing his ideas about evolution and gathering information about other scientists' work in the field. This included the journals and books of his grandfather, Erasmus Darwin. Erasmus Darwin wrote Zoonomia in 1794 (we have the 1803 edition), in which he included early concepts on evolution and common descent.

On the origin of species laid out his theory of evolution through natural selection and caused a sensation in the scientific community and the general public alike. The idea that humans and all living things were descended from common ancestors was controversial, as it contradicted the prevailing belief in creationism.

Despite the controversy, Darwin's theory of evolution quickly gained acceptance among scientists, and it has since become the foundation of modern biology. Darwin continued to work and publish for the rest of his life, including The descent of man, The variation of animals and plants under domestication, and The expression of the emotions in man and animals.

Darwin suffered from poor health for much of his life, and in his later years, he became increasingly reclusive. He died on April 19, 1882, at the age of 73, and was buried in Westminster Abbey, a testament to his lasting impact on science and the world.

Charles Darwin's theory of evolution through natural selection was controversial when he first proposed it, and it continues to be the subject of debate and controversy today. Some of the controversies related to Darwin and his work include the conflict with religious beliefs already mentioned, but also the misapplication of Darwin's ideas to justify racist and eugenic policies and practices of the past century-and-a-half that were based on the idea that certain races or social classes were superior to others, and that the "weak" and vulnerable should not be protected.

Darwin's theory was also developed at a time when women were largely excluded from the scientific community, and some critics have argued that his work reflected the gender biases of his era. For example, his ideas about sexual selection focused on male competition for female mates while largely ignoring female mate choice.

And while Darwin's theory has been widely accepted by the scientific community, it has also been subject to criticisms and challenges. Some scientists have questioned aspects of Darwin's theory, such as the rate and mechanisms of evolution, and have proposed alternative theories.

The book itself is fairly unassuming, bound in a bright green cloth with a blind-stamped vine motif on the front and back and a gilt-stamped spine title. (Don't worry, it's not poisonous!) It has one illustration, the diagram in the banner above. It shows a little shelf wear but is in otherwise tremendous shape. Thankfully, although book production was turning more industrial at the time and incorporating substandard materials and corrosive chemicals, On the origin of species seems to have been produced with care. It certainly has been well cared for and we are more than happy to carry on that tradition!

Contact me to take a look at this book or any others from this or past newsletters: damien-ihrig@uiowa.edu or 319-335-9154 to arrange a visit in person or over Zoom.