To Elliott & Fry   23 April [1871]1

Down. | Beckenham | Kent. S.E.

Ap 23

Dear Sir

If you really think it worth while to come down, I shall be happy to give you a sitting & aid in any way.—2

Orpington Station is nearest.

But I am bound to tell you that I lately was several times with Mr Rejlander, who was assisting me on a scientific subject, &, who took so much trouble for my sake that I gladly complied with his request to take several photos: of me, and these I imagine he intends to sell to any purchasers; & this fact may make it not worth your while to come down here.—3

If you do come, be so kind as to let me know a day or two before.—

Dear Sir | yours faithfully | Ch. Darwin

1
The year is established by the relationship between this letter and the letter to H. E. Darwin, 20 March 1871, and the form of the address, with ‘Bromley’ deleted and ‘Beckenham’ added by hand, which was used by CD between April 1869 and May 1871.
2
There is no further mention of any visit by a representative of Elliott & Fry in 1871.
3
CD had met Oscar Gustaf Rejlander when he was in London from 1 to 5 April 1871; see letter to H. E. Darwin, 20 March 1871 and n. 4. He supplied CD with several photographs for Expression (see letter to James Crichton-Browne, 7 April [1871]). Rejlander’s photographs of CD are in DAR 225: 114–15 and DAR 257: 14 (see frontispiece). No Elliott & Fry photographs of CD taken in 1871 have been found.

Manuscript Alterations and Comments

0.1 Beckenham] before del ‘Bromley.’

Please cite as “DCP-LETT-7710A,” in Ɛpsilon: The Charles Darwin Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/dcp-data/letters/DCP-LETT-7710A