Dialogues with Darwin

April 2009–September 2010

Among the many “best-kept secrets” of Philadelphia is the American Philosophical Society (APS), America’s first academy of science. Among the more than ten million manuscripts and books housed in its Library are 700 Darwin letters—the largest such collection in the U.S., and the largest in the world outside of Cambridge University. In addition, the Library recently acquired more than 4,500 Darwin books in nearly every language, including many first editions.

In 2009, the APS Museum exhibition Dialogues with Darwin will mark the bicentennial of Darwin’s birth and the 150th anniversary of the publication of On the Origin of Species with displays of the Library’s Darwin treasures. The exhibition will explore Darwin’s life and work with an innovative combination of history, art, and science.

Dialogues with Darwin will invite visitors to participate in three kinds of dialogues with Darwin and his ideas:

• Historical books and letters will examine the key issues in debates among Darwin and other scientists.
• Commissioned artworks, integrated into the exhibition, will create a contemporary dialogue linking present to past and art to science.
• Innovative interpretative materials, embedded in the exhibition as well as on the web, will give visitors the opportunity to participate in their own “dialogues” with Darwin.

The exhibition will attract a broad audience, from scholars interested in the
rare documents and books to families with children, who will enjoy hands-on activities in the APS Art Cart. A full roster of public programs will accompany
the show.

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