A page from Charles Darwin's letter to John Murray, dated 31 March 1859.
This handwritten letter by Charles Darwin to his publisher John Murray outlines the chapters of his ground-breaking book, 'On the Origin of Species'.
John Murray Publishers, founded in 1768 by Scot John Murray (born McMurray), took a great reputational risk by publishing Charles Darwin's evolutionary theory in 1859. All 1,250 copies of the first edition sold out immediately.
Bought in 2006 as part of the John Murray Archive with assistance from the Scottish Government, the Heritage Lottery Fund and other private donors.
[Library reference: MS.42153, ff.12-13]
