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Article ID: CBB000932511

Between the Beagle and the Barnacle: Darwin's Microscopy, 1837--1854 (2009)

Jardine, Boris (Author)

Studies in History and Philosophy of Science
Volume: 40
Pages: 382--395

Publication Date: 2009
Edition Details: Part of a special issue: On Scientific Instruments
Language: English

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Barnacles Scientific apparatus and instruments Manuscripts Microscopy 19th century Ehrenberg, Christian Gottfried Darwin, Charles Robert Whipple Museum of the History of Science (Cambridge, Eng.)

The discovery of a small collection of Darwin manuscripts at the Whipple Museum of the History of Science (University of Cambridge) has allowed a reconsideration of Darwin's interest in and knowledge of microscopy. Concentrating on the years between his return from the Beagle voyage and the publication of the major taxonomic work on barnacles, this paper recovers a number of important aspects of Darwin's intellectual and practical development: on returning from the Beagle voyage he acquainted himself with the work of C. G. Ehrenberg, and this informed both his private and public work; then through the 1840s Darwin transformed himself from a fascinated observer and consumer of others' work into an expert on microscopy. I characterise this move as a piece of clever manoeuvring, and discuss more generally the kind of scientist---gentlemanly and expert---that Darwin was attempting to become.

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Article Taub, Liba (2009) On Scientific Instruments. Studies in History and Philosophy of Science (p. 337). unapi

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