Mysterious benefactor returns Charles Darwin’s missing notebooks after 20 years

Two notebooks belonging to Charles Darwin, one of which contains his iconic 1837 "Tree of Life" sketch, have been safely returned to Cambridge University Library, more than two decades after first being reported missing.

Twenty years ago, two small notebooks written by 19th-century naturalist Charles Darwin mysteriously disappeared from the archives of Cambridge University Library. One of the notebooks even contains Darwin's iconic 1837 sketch of the so-called "Tree of Life." After multiple searches and a public appeal, the notebooks have finally been returned by an anonymous person.

"My sense of relief at the notebooks' safe return is profound and almost impossible to adequately express," said Cambridge University Librarian Jessica Gardner in a statement. "Along with so many others all across the world, I was heartbroken to learn of their loss, and my joy at their return is immense. They may be tiny, just the size of postcards, but the notebooks' impact on the history of science and their importance to our world-class collections here cannot be overstated."

A page from Darwin's 1837 notebook showing the "Tree of Life" sketch. (credit: Stuart Roberts/Cambridge University Library)

Darwin famously set sail on the HMS Beagle on December 27, 1831, as the ship's naturalist. The expedition's purpose was to chart the coastline of South America, and Darwin's job was to collect and record specimens as well as investigate local geography at the various landing sites. He dutifully recorded all his observations in his notebooks and shipped many of his finds back to England so other scientists could study them. Originally slated to last for two years, the voyage took nearly five years to complete.

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