The Balfour & Newton Libraries' first edition copy of Charles Darwin's 'On the origin of species' will feature in the next episode of Countryfile, to be shown on Sunday 8th February, at 11.00am, on BBC1. Filming has taken place in the University Museum of Zoology Cambridge for BBC1's Countryfile programme next Sunday. John Craven spent three days filming in the University of Cambridge and in the city for this episode to celebrate the 200th anniversary of Charles Darwin's birth.
The Museum's exhibition Darwin: Beetles, Finches, Barnacles features the Balfour & Newton Libraries' first edition copy of Darwin's book, 'On the origin of species'. This copy was originally owned by one of the founders of the libraries, Professor Alfred Newton. Newton was the first Professor of Zoology and Comparative Anatomy in the University of Cambridge, and was a contemporary and correspondent of Darwin. Newton apparently acquired his copy of the book, as he annotated on page i, just a few weeks after it was published in November 1859. Only 1250 copies of the first edition were ever published so this copy is quite rare and precious.
John Craven was filmed next to this exhibition handling the book. The Librarian was on hand to advise on this and enjoyed watching the whole filming process.
This copy of the book has been scanned by the The 'Complete Work of Charles Darwin Online' project, see http://darwin-online.org.uk/ and click on 'Origin of species', '1st ed.'
Professor Alfred Newton bequeathed his collections of books of outstanding historical importance, especially for ornithology, to the Department of Zoology in 1907. More information on the Balfour & Newton Libraries' Special Collections can be found at http://www.zoo.cam.ac.uk/library/index.html
