RECORD: Litchfield, H. E. 1892.07.31. Letter to ? sending draft of Orchids, fair copy, chap. III, folio 179. Christies-21034Lot54[.2]. Edited by John van Wyhe (Darwin Online, http://darwin-online.org.uk/)
REVISION HISTORY: Transcribed and edited by John van Wyhe 12.2022. RN1
NOTE: See record in the Darwin Online manuscript catalogue, enter its Identifier here. Reproduced with permission of William Huxley Darwin.
From the auction description: "1 1/2 pages, 327 x 201mm (verso text cancelled in pencil by Charles Darwin, water staining affecting the bottom two inches of the leaf though not affecting legibility). Provenance: Henrietta Litchfield (1843-1927), Darwin's daughter; a letter dated 31 July [18]92 identifies her father's hand and asks to be remembered to Monsieur Fournier (also referencing the following lot). A draft leaf for Darwin's 1862 'Orchid book', showing variation from the published text; presented to the recipient by Darwin's daughter Henrietta Litchfield. The text on the recto in the hand of an amanuensis for pp. 114-115 of On the various contrivances…, opening '…the pollinia had been removed by insects' and closing 'In the rostellum being supported…' with three interlinear annotations in Darwin's hand (line 8: '*a'; line 9: 'like that in the Ophreæ; and'; and line 11: 'likewise as in the Ophreæ'). The verso with 5 lines in Darwin's hand: 'in which the nucleus projects from the testa in the ovules of a lately expanded flower shows the affinity of Goodyera to Epipactis. With respect to this structure in Epipactis see R. Brown's remarks in Linnean Transactions vol. 16 p.703'." Sold for £10,080 in 12.2022. The photograph she sent in Christies-21034Lot55.
[1]
31, Kensington Square. W.
July 31 92
Dear Sir,
I have the pleasure of sending you a photograph and a small piece of m.s.s.
Most of it is in the handwriting of the copyist, but there is
[2]
little piece at the back in my father's hand writing. He has scored it through with pencil, but that could be rubbed out.
Believe me,
Yours sincerely
H.E. Litchfield
Please give my kind remembrances to Monsieur Fournier when you see him again.
Citation: John van Wyhe, ed. 2002-. The Complete Work of Charles Darwin Online. (http://darwin-online.org.uk/)
File last updated 13 September, 2023