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An appeal has been launched to track down one of Charles Darwin's most important notebooks, which was probably stolen in the early 1980s. English Heritage wants anyone who might know of the whereabouts of Darwin's 'Galapagos notebook' to come forward.
It is launching the appeal today to coincide with the 150th anniversary of the publication of On the Origin of Species.
To mark the anniversary, English Heritage is also publishing online Darwin's 14 other notebooks from his time aboard HMS Beagle between 1831 and 1836.
Sadly, the Galapagos notebook has never been seen since its disappearance from Darwin's Kent home, Down House near Orpington. It is likely a visitor took the opportunity to steal the Galapagos book while they were on public display.
The naturalist's great-great-grandson, Randal Keynes, said it was "almost certainly stolen".
He said: "Our family always felt that the best Darwin material should be at Down House so that the public could see it in his home. The Galapagos notebook is of outstanding value for the history of science.
"If Darwin had not posed the questions in that notebook, he might never have written On the Origin of Species.
"The notebook was almost certainly stolen around the 1980s. But I am hopeful that it is only a matter of time before it resurfaces and when it does, it must be returned to English Heritage and Down House."
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