Teaching sheet with Arum maculatum (Lords-and-ladies), undated (paper watermarked 1836)
Collage, pen and ink, and watercolour
John Stevens Henslow, professor of botany at Cambridge, greatly developed Darwin’s knowledge of natural history in his student years; Darwin believed he had 'influenced my whole career more than any other.' From 1829 to 1831 Darwin constantly used Henslow’s 'Catalogue of British Plants,' which was based on his 'collations' or comparative collections of plant specimens—the basis of Cambridge University’s herbarium.
Teaching sheet with Polygala vulgaris (common milkwort), undated.
Collage, pen and ink, and watercolour
John Stevens Henslow’s beautiful botanical drawings were pasted onto larger sheets and carefully annotated for teaching purposes. They display the artistic skill he had acquired in early life—a skill which Darwin lacked. They also reveal his fascination with the nature of species, which he explored through the study of hybrid and mutated forms. While Henslow himself continued to believe that species were unchanging, his experiments influenced Darwin’s developing theory of evolution.
Botanic Garden, University of Cambridge
Walking in Henslow's Garden (Audio Walks), University of Cambridge
