Charles Darwin (1869)
Known as the founder of modern biology, Charles Darwin (1809 – 1882) made a significant contribution to human knowledge. Darwin is credited by Britannica as the author of the natural selection theory, which is the basis for our present knowledge of evolution. The political, scientific, and literary experiences of his and subsequent societies have been forever altered by his contributions. This shot was taken by Julia Margaret Cameron, who also caught the likes of John Herschel and Alfred Tennyson. This is what the Victoria and Albert Museum had to say about the picture: In 1868, Charles Darwin went to the Isle of Wight for a summer vacation with his family. A picture of the naturalist taken here by Cameron would eventually become the classic depiction of the scientist. In the future, it would be reproduced as a carbon print and circulated.
Charles Darwin 1869
Harriet Beecher Stowe (c. 1870)
As the author of Uncle Tom’s Cabin, you may be familiar with Harriet Beecher Stowe (1811 – 1896), but the writer and abolitionist achieved so much more. Stowe, armed with her unwavering religious conviction, denounced slavery as unchristian. Using the platform provided by her world-renowned book, she toured the country promoting her work and speaking out against slavery. Abolitionists had made significant headway, but women’s rights were far behind. How Stowe and her contemporaries were dissuaded from public speaking, especially in front of predominantly male crowds, was described in the history. However, Stowe was unable to discuss her work freely, even at events held in her honor. Calvin, her boyfriend, or a male brother would take her position on the podiums, rather than her own. Her brother, Stowe, and preacher Henry Ward Beecher posed for this larger photograph in 1870, which she shared with them.
Harriet Beecher Stowe 1870
