Understand the disappearance of Charles Darwin’s notebooks, returned 20 years later

Two notebooks of the British naturalist in September 2000 Charles Darwin they were taken from the vault of the Special Collections room of the Cambridge University Library (England) for a photo shoot and have only now returned 22 years later.

Darwin was one of the most important scientists of the modern age, who put forward the theory of evolution, one of the cornerstones of biology, with a great innovation.

The pads the scientist used are the size of a small, paperback book. They were taken to the photo shoot and returned in order according to the records. But in 2001, they were discovered missing during a routine conference.

Library staff initially believed that there might be some confusion and notebooks hid elsewhere. The problem is that Cambridge University Library has over ten million items.

Finding the notebooks amongst so many books, maps, manuscripts and other purposes was therefore the job of Hercules. After decades of fruitless searches, librarian Jessica Gardner has decided to organize a definitive task force.

call and come back

After a systematic search, he finally came to the conclusion that the books were removed from the library. A worldwide campaign was launched calling for the material to be returned.

Meanwhile, the security of the institution has been tightened almost completely. New measures have been implemented, new strong rooms have been set up, and workers have been classified according to different access levels.

In March 2022, notebooks they mysteriously returned to their place of origin. They were left in their protective boxes in the library lobby. The material was placed in an envelope inside a bright pink bag.

Items were intact, with no signs of use and no visible damage. The envelope read: “Librarian, Happy Easter, X.” A police investigation has been initiated and is continuing.

Dr. “My relief at the safe return of the notebooks is profound and nearly impossible to express enough,” Gardner said in a note. They will be displayed to the public at the exhibition to commemorate the return of the material. Darwin In conversation, from 9 July.

historical significance

According to Professor Stephen Toope, the university’s vice-chancellor, materials like this are important for understanding human history.

Joyful notebooks Before the library announced its recovery, it passed three weeks of testing to ensure the legitimacy of the material.

They are part of a collection called Transmutation Notebooks: a set of publications in it. Darwin He was the first to reveal his ideas about the transformations of species over time.

The recovered books were labeled B and C as they were the second and third parts of the set. They were written in 1837, when the scientist was 28 years old and returned from his famous world tour aboard HMS Beagle.

One of the rotated blocks contains the iconic Tree of Life outline. DarwinIt was designed during the birth of the theory of evolution. In the picture, the scientist coined the phrase “I think”.

Many questions still remain unanswered. Where were the books? Who has it? And who returned them? The police are urging anyone with information to get in touch. Security camera footage will also be reviewed.

But Jessica Gardner is already more relaxed. “I’m so sorry to hear about your loss and I’m so happy for their return,” she told the BBC in an interview.