Professor James Secord from the History and Philosophy of Science Department at the University of Cambridge has been appointed director of the Darwin Correspondence Project.
Professor James Secord from the History and Philosophy of Science Department at the University of Cambridge has been appointed director of the Darwin Correspondence Project.
Professor James Secord from the History and Philosophy of Science Department at the University of Cambridge has been appointed director of the Darwin Correspondence Project.
His appointment, which follows the retirement of Professor Duncan Porter, comes at a pivotal time for the project, which has just published the 15th volume of what will eventually be a 30-volume edition of all known letters written both by and to Charles Darwin.
In total, the number of letters comes to almost 15,000. The collection covers an extraordinary range of subjects, from imperial exploration and travel, to the intimate details of Victorian family life.
There are ambitious plans to make these rich materials widely accessible. More than 2,000 letters are now freely available online at http://www.darwinproject.ac.uk, and a specially-commissioned dramatisation of the letters has been warmly received.
Professor Secord studied the history of science, geology and literature at Pomona College and Princeton University. His writings include studies of Darwin's early geology and the acclaimed Victorian Sensation: The Extraordinary Publication, Reception and Secret Authorship of 'Vestiges of the Natural History of Creation'
Like Darwin's correspondence itself, the Project is international in scope. The main research team is based in Cambridge University Library, which holds the world's largest collection of Darwin manuscripts. Further researchers are based in the United States, and close ties are maintained with research institutions worldwide.
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