Season 1 Episode 14: Chapter XV - Recapitulation and Conclusion

In this episode we discussed Chapter XV - Recapitulation & Conclusion from Darwin's Origin of Species. It is our final podcast of this season and we chose not to recapitulate as much as discuss how Darwin's book was received at the time and how Darwin handled the release of his book.

Although only 1250 copies of Origin of Species was published in the first edition, Darwin purchased 80 or so copies himself and Mudie's Circulating Library purchased 500 copies for use in their subscription service library, a service widely used by many middle class British folk.

It was through the subscription library that allowed Darwin's ideas to be widely distributed to the general public while fevered debates occurred in churches and academic halls.

The original 1859 publisher of Origin of Species was the Murray Publishing House book and the publisher was very generous in allowing Darwin to make corrections after the first printing run which is why the 2nd edition of OoS has a 1860 publication date.

We discussed how Darwin was often portrayed as an ape in cartoons published at the time. When we discussed the infamous images of monkey-like Darwin James erroneously associated those images with the famous Punch magazine but it turns out the ones he was thinking of came from other magazines of the time.

Charles Darwin considering the fashion of the time - the bustle (Fun magazine 1872)



 from The Hornet magazine, 1871

We really appreciate you listening to our podcast and we hope you return later this fall when we return with Season Two - Darwin the Adventurer.

The opening and closing theme to Discovering Darwin is "May" by Jared C. Balogh. 

Interlude music is bensound retro soul