Stolen Darwin notebooks returned

Stolen notebooks home at last - 16th May 2022

Two leather notebooks which haven't been seen for 22 years have finally been returned to Cambridge University library. The books, worth millions of pounds, were the property of the well-known scientist Charles Darwin.

Darwin scribbled his ideas in these notebooks in the late 1830s, after his Galapagos Islands trip. They include a diagram of a thin tree – the 'tree of life'. This was key to his major scientific work 'On the Origin of Species', which was published 20 years later. His exciting and original theory is probably the most significant in its field.

The precious notebooks were brought back to the library after a worldwide appeal. This began 15 months ago, when the library learnt that the books had been stolen, rather than simply misplaced. The police were contacted, and just over a year later both items reappeared, but the details of their recovery are a complete mystery. Who'd kept hold of them for two decades and who returned them remain unknown.

The unique notebooks were rediscovered inside a bright pink paper bag. This had been carefully placed outside the office of the university librarian, Dr Jessica Gardner, in a part of the building without CCTV coverage. Inside the bag was a simple printed message: "Librarian, Happy Easter X."

"I feel joyous," said Dr Gardner, who couldn't believe her eyes on finding them. "They're safe, they're in good condition, they're home."

For now, the priceless notebooks are being kept under lock and key. However, the public will be able to see them later this year at a free exhibition, called 'Darwin in Conversation.'