Charles Darwin: In His Footsteps

3 October 2009-30 August 2010
Free entry

See Charles Darwin's story unfold through larger than life illustrations in a graphic novel style alongside fantastic objects, some collected by Darwin himself.
See Darwin as you have never seen him before and discover the key moments in the development of his career, from his childhood interest in nature to his discovery of the most important idea in biology. Find out about the importance of Darwin's less well known work, from pigeon breeding to the origin of coral reefs on submarine volcanoes.
Explore the reaction to Darwin's ideas and their impact on science and society.
Discover how natural selection continues to create the diversity we see in the natural world- just what is a species and what is the evidence for evolution?
Find out about Manchester's links to Darwin's ideas - from the story of the Peppered Moth to the history of The Manchester Museum.

Experience extraordinary places and wildlife through the evocative words of Charles Darwin and breathtaking images from photographer Ben Hall.
"The glories of the vegetation of the Tropics rise before my mind at the present time more vividly than anything else. Though the sense of sublimity, which the great deserts of Patagonia and the forest-clad mountains of Tierra del Fuego excited in me, has left an indelible impression on my mind." (From Charles Darwin's autobiography, written in 1876, 40 years after the voyage of the Beagle)
"In many parts magnificent glaciers extended from the mountain side to the water's edge. It is scarcely possible to imagine any thing more beautiful than the beryl-like blue of the glacier, and especially when contrasted with the dead white of an expanse of snow. As fragments fell from the glacier into the water, they floated away, and the channel with its icebergs represented in miniature the polar sea." (The Voyage of the Beagle, p.245, January 1833 Tierra del Fuego)
Charles Darwin spent more time in South America than he did anywhere else when voyaging on HMS Beagle during 1831-36. Darwin's popular account of his experiences, usually called The Voyage of the Beagle, was published in 1845 and became an instant bestseller. This book has been one of the most popular travel narratives ever written. The book contains many evocative descriptions of the things Darwin saw.
Ben Hall is one of Britain's foremost wildlife photographers. His personal approach to wildlife photography lies in the creative art of 'seeing'. His aim is to use his pictures to communicate his personal vision, to generate an emotional response and to excite the viewer's aesthetic sensitivity. Ben often pre-visualises a particular image in his mind before setting out to photograph it. To realise this vision by turning it into a photographic image can take weeks or even months, and often sees him returning frequently to the same location to capture the perfect shot.
Find out more about Ben Hall at:
http://www.benhallphotography.com/
Read about Charles Darwin's time in South America here:
http://darwin-online.org.uk/
Read Charles Darwin's letters here:
http://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/
Dinosaur evolution
http://www.seaes.manchester.ac.uk/research/groups/palaeo/themes/gaitmodelling/
Evolution of birds
http://www.seaes.manchester.ac.uk/research/groups/palaeo/themes/gaitmodelling/
Evolution of microbes
http://www.ls.manchester.ac.uk/research/themes/evolution/researchtopics/microbialevolution/
Molecular evolution
http://www.ls.manchester.ac.uk/research/themes/bioinformatics/researchtopics/molecularevolution/