Charles Darwin (1809-1882) - photo 1
Charles Darwin (1809-1882) - photo 2
Charles Darwin (1809-1882) - photo 3
Charles Darwin (1809-1882) - photo 4

Charles Darwin (1809-1882)

Lot 319
15.12.2023 11:00UTC +00:00
Classic
Starting price
£ 100
AuctioneerCHRISTIE'S
Event locationUnited Kingdom, London
Buyer Premiumsee on Website%
Archive
The auction is completed. No bids can be placed anymore.
Archive
ID 1109120
Lot 319 | Charles Darwin (1809-1882)
Estimate value
£ 20 000 – 30 000
Charles Darwin (1809-1882)
Autograph letter signed ('Ch. Darwin') to Lawson Tait, Down, 6 August 1876
3 pages, 203 x 127mm, bifolium, printed address heading. Envelope. Provenance: Sotheby's, 24 July 1978, lot 224.

On the origin of evil: 'Why should a small cut cause tetanus or child-birth – or parasitic worms cause so much suffering?'. Darwin expresses his pleasure at his proposed election as an honorary member of the Birmingham Natural History Society (of which Tait was president), and responds to an article by Tait seeking to apply the theory of evolution to 'moral life': 'I agree with the greater part. – Under a theological point of view, I cannot however quite agree that the origin of evil is explained by survival. Why sh[oul]d a small cut cause tetanus or child-birth – or parasitic worms cause so much suffering? Why was not man framed with sympathies extending beyond his own tribe, so that murder would have been a crime even from the earliest period?'. He concludes with an encouragement for Tait's scientific work: 'I am glad that you have not give up polydactylism'.

Lawson Tait (1845-1899) was a pioneering surgeon, known for his opposition to vivisection and for introducing the most common surgical treatment for ectopic pregnancy; he is considered one of the founding figures of gynecology. DCP-LETT-10571.
Artist:Charles Robert Darwin (1809 - 1882)
Place of origin:United Kingdom
Auction house category:Medicine & science
Address of auction CHRISTIE'S
8 King Street, St. James's
SW1Y 6QT London
United Kingdom
Preview
09.12.2023 12:00 – 17:00
10.12.2023 12:00 – 17:00
11.12.2023 09:00 – 20:00
12.12.2023 09:00 – 17:00
13.12.2023 09:00 – 17:00
Phone +44 (0)20 7839 9060
Email
4FQ.AYGKAGLUQ@FO3G@
Buyer Premium see on Website
Conditions of purchaseConditions of purchase

More from Creator

Preparing
Preparing "The Voyage of the Beagle" for publication
$100
On the Origin of Species
On the Origin of Species
$55 000
Charles Darwin (1809-1882)
Charles Darwin (1809-1882)
£10 000
DARWIN, Charles (1809-1882)
DARWIN, Charles (1809-1882)
£3 000
On the delay in publication of his Journal of Researches
On the delay in publication of his Journal of Researches
$100
Charles Darwin (1809-1882)
Charles Darwin (1809-1882)
£100
DARWIN, Charles Robert (1809-1882) and Alfred Russel WALLACE (1823-1913)
DARWIN, Charles Robert (1809-1882) and Alfred Russel WALLACE (1823-1913)
£15 000
DARWIN, Charles Robert (1809-1882)
DARWIN, Charles Robert (1809-1882)
£1 500

Related terms

Frequently asked questions

First of all, you should register to be able to purchase at auction. After confirming your email address, enter your personal information in your user profile, such as your first name, last name, and mail address. Choose a lot from the upcoming auction and the maximum amount you want to place on it. After confirmation of your choice, we will send your application by e-mail to the appropriate auction house. If the auction house accepts a request, it will participate in the auction. You can view the current status of a bid at any time in your personal account in the "Bids" section.
Auctions are performed by auction houses and each of the auction houses describes their terms of auction. You can see the texts in the section "Auction information".
The results of the auction are published within a few days after the end of the auction. In the top menu of the site, find the tab "Auctions". Click on it and you will be on the auction catalog page, where you can easily find the category "Results". After opening it, select the desired auction from the list, enter and view the current status of the interested lot.
The information about the auction winners is confidential. The auction winner will receive a direct notification from the auction house responsible with instructions for further action: an invoice for payment and the manner in which the goods will be received.
Each of the auction houses has its own payment policy for the won lots. All auction houses accept bank transfers, most of them accept credit card payments. In the near future you will find detailed information for each case in the section "Auction information" on the page of the auction catalog and the lot.
Shipment of the won lot depends on its size. Small items can be delivered by post. Larger lots are sent by courier. Employees of the auction houses will offer you a wide range to choose from.
No. The archive serves as a reference for the study of auction prices, photographs and descriptions of works of art.