Charles Darwin (1809-1882) and Joseph Dalton Hooker (1817-1911) were both major figures in 19th century British biology. Darwin is famous for his work on evolution, and Hooker was an important plant explorer and director of Kew Gardens, following his father William Jackson Hooker in that position.
Less is known about the close friendship between the two men and the important support they gave to each other’s research. That story is told in “Darwin & Hooker: A story of friendship, curiosity and discovery that changed the world”, a delightfully illustrated book by Alexandra Stewart and Joe Todd-Stanton. While marketed as a children’s book, I would easily recommend this to anyone interested in a biography of these two men.
“Both men found their time together useful, stimulating and hugely enjoyable. They learnt a great deal from one another and enjoyed gossiping and teasing each other.” This quote is from a page showing Darwin and Hooker playing in a field with some of their children.
Elsewhere, the illustrations are especially effective at demonstrating scientific concepts that would be challenging if only presented in text. This is especially true in differentiating the 13 species of finches on the Galápagos Islands that all descended from one species found on the South America mainland. These species primarily differ by the size and shape of their beaks. The study of these birds helped Darwin develop the theory of evolution by natural selection.
Excerpted from Brian Thompson’s article in the Summer 2023 issue of the Arboretum Bulletin