I must confess to being a complete sucker for the ‘famous possessions’ category of objects. Whether it’s Emperor Napoleon’s toothbrush, or a sample of Jeremy Bentham’s skin (one of the more unnerving items on display in the Wellcome Library’s ‘Medicine Man’ exhibition), I am hopelessly fascinated by objects which hold such a direct connection to the ‘celebs’ of history.
So when I encountered Charles Darwin’s walking stick lying nonchalantly among the host of objects collected by Henry Wellcome, the ‘famous possessions’ geek in me let out something of a squeal. I’m sure you will share in my excitement by casting your eyes at the images below, which show the stick itself and the rather intriguing design carved into its handle…..
Naturally, this is one of two Darwinian walking sticks owned by the Wellcome Library (testament to Henry Wellcome’s zeal for collecting). For all you fellow walking stick enthusiasts, information on the other can be found at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/hi/pop_ups/07/health_the_wellcome_collection/html/11.stm
Turning to our object in question then. The stick is 88cm in length and is carved from an elephant tusk, with an engraving featuring a snake among foliage at its handle. It is presented in the exhibition with the date span: 1839 – 1881. Linking to Rachael’s point in her object analysis, this immediately threw up (no vomiting pun intended) a number of questions for me. What does this date span refer to? Was it crafted in 1839? The stick was supposedly custom made for Darwin, which implies this may be the case. If so, what happened in 1881? (Darwin died in 1882. Did he perhaps stop using it in 1881, and thus the ‘life’ of the object came to an end?). As well as raising issues about the minimalistic way objects are presented in the Medicine Man exhibition, this prompts questions about how we interpret the lifespan of objects: is it from their time of creation to their being deposited in a museum? Or is the life of an object more closely linked to its usage and owner?
Moving on from these broader issues surrounding the object, Darwin’s walking stick itself provides us with a great example of how an object can greatly benefit one specific form of research: the biographical. For me, this is one of the strongest ways in which objects can be incorporated into the academic narrative. There are a number of inferences we can make about Darwin through study of this personal possession. His fascination with nature is conveyed through both the material chosen for the stick and the images crafted upon it: this was an interest so keen that it impacted upon the design of everyday objects in Darwin’s life. Much can also be made of the religious connotations surrounding Darwin’s choice of a snake as the stick’s centerpiece (though without knowing more I’ll leave this here!).
The stick serves as a reminder of Darwin’s working methods. Walking has been argued to have been a hugely important activity for Darwin, allowing him time to think through his ideas, as well as providing him with an access point to a natural environment. The care taken with the design of the stick indicates the importance Darwin placed upon this activity.
Significantly, the stick also served a social purpose for Darwin. He was known to make his oncoming presence felt by hitting it with force into the floor as he approached colleagues, critics and others working in scientific circles. Allegedly he did this so often that the sound of a walking stick and his presence became heavily associated. That he may have deployed his walking stick to promote a personal aura contrasts rather sharply with an argument often made about Darwin being reserved and modest in society; a figure who shrank from the notion of his own fame.
So! Darwin’s walking stick can be used to tell us more about his personal interests, working habits and his functioning as a social being. As such, it provides us with an example of how objects can be particularly useful in informing biographical research.
And, most importantly for the ‘famous possessions’ geek, it’s also really really cool!
Colin Baker