The Whipple Museum, Free School Lane, Cambridge
01223 330906 / www.hps.cam.ac.uk/whipple/index.html
Open: weekdays only, 12:30–16:30
Admission Free
In 1847, Charles Darwin purchased a large compound microscope, made by the firm Smith & Beck. He first used this microscope in his study of barnacles; work that was informed by his theory of evolution, and also helped to verify the theory. Darwin’s microscope is the centerpiece of a wide-ranging new display at the Whipple Museum that surveys two centuries of engagement with Darwin and evolutionary ideas.
The exhibition features a display of rare evolutionary books in the decades before the Origin of Species, a general introduction to Darwin's life, and fascinating material relating to the early history of the Darwin Correspondence Project. Visitors are invited to explore the extraordinary world of contemporary Darwin memorabilia, from car bumper stickers and postage stamps to tea towels and specially brewed Darwin ales.