An exhaustive search done by the University of Cambridge now leads curators to believe that two notebooks of Charles Darwin, one of which contains his famously known 1837 ‘Tree of Life’ sketch, have been stolen.
The University of Cambridge first listed the notebooks as missing back in Jan. 2001. The university has notified the Cambridgeshire Police and have recorded the loss of the notebooks in the Art Loss Register as well as into Psyche – Interpol’s database for stolen artworks.
Charles Darwin’s notebooks reported stolen from Cambridge University https://t.co/ZaRkxnsMkv
— The Guardian (@guardian) November 24, 2020
The University has launched an appeal into the investigation which just so happens to coincide with something known as ‘Evolution Day’ – which acknowledges the anniversary of the publication of Charles Darwin‘s On the Origin of Species back in Nov. 24, 1859, the University of Cambridge’s website states. (RELATED: Going Vegan Makes You 43 Percent More Likely To Break A Bone, Study Reveals)
“I am heartbroken that the location of these Darwin notebooks, including Darwin‘s iconic ‘Tree of Life’ drawing, is currently unknown, but we’re determined to do everything possible to discover what happened and will leave no stone unturned during this process,” Dr. Jessica Gardner, the University Librarian and Director of Library Services since 2017 stated.
“This public appeal could be critical in seeing the notebooks safely return, for the benefit of all, and I would ask anyone who thinks they may be able to help to get in touch.”
The estimated value of both notebooks is hard to estimate given the rarity of them, however it is believed that their worth might be into the million in pounds, The University of Cambridge website notes.