The best birthday present ever

April 11, 2015 • 3:30 pm

Reader Maria writes in, terribly excited by the birthday present she got from her husband:

I turned 64 on March 24th, a key age and a key date (see below) and my husband gave me this as a present. He bought it in NY at an antiquarian book fair at the Armory. I am sooooo happy.

“Mr. Darwin has much pleasure in sending his signature.”

Darwin signature

Signed on her birthday! She later added some other information when I asked permission to reproduce the photo and information:

Of course you can. I am Maria Jinich and live in Mexico City. My husband is Armando Jinich. We have no extra information regarding the origin of the autograph.

Now that is a thoughtful husband, and clearly a woman who loves evolution.

 

40 thoughts on “The best birthday present ever

  1. Many happy (belated) returns of the day! You are quite the lucky woman, as I’m sure you husband is a lucky man. and to think I got excited over my recent purchase of a 1898 printing of Darwin’s “The Formation of Vegetable Moulds by the Action of Worms” but this would have put me over the moon! and what a quaint and charming inscription.

    1. 2^16
      It’s important if you do anything in computing. Or anything else in binary maths.

  2. I told my wife about this. She asked me to repeat. I said ‘Charles Darwin signature’. She asked if he was the guy from X factor!
    (UK lack of talent TV show). I really do have to believe she was joking.

    Absolutely awesome present.

  3. How is it that my circle of intimates are so disagreeable to me? I am an artist with a scientific bent, but everyone I know is…not with a scientific bent. They are superbly bright, but I cannot discuss evolution or any thing that might challenge religion. Now, spirituality is a special case…say, the practice of meditation, I can enter through that portal, and introduce the science behind that, but I cannot tiptoe into anything remotely like discussing atheism or evolution. It astonishes me. But I do live in the Bible Belt. I would so cherish such a gift. I so admire Darwin!

  4. Aww, that makes my day. 🙂 Glad it made your special day, Maria, and thanks so much for sharing it!

  5. Wow also!
    Please, may I use this as an illustration for my forthcoming book: ‘Charles Darwin’s Illness– his Wedgwood Family Inheritance’.

      1. Muchas gracias. Should the book ever see the light of publication you are on my list to receive a complimentary copy.

          1. I still have to find a willing publisher. An ‘open access’ article in Genetics gives the basis for my contention that Darwin had a maternally inherited mtDNA pathological mutation: Genetics. 2013 May; 194(1): 21–25.
            doi: 10.1534/genetics.113.151241

  6. WHOA ! That DOES rock !

    You, Ms Jinich, are utterly fortunate.
    (And last night, upon my winning the raffle’s grand prize for the second, consecutive year, and third time totally, I thought I was. YOUR fortune far, far, far supercedes! CONGRATULATIONS!)

    Happy, Happiest Birthday !
    Blue

    ps May I post / pin elsewhere ?
    without personal referencing, if wanted ?

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