1 carte-de-visite, image: 2 ¼ x 3 ⅝ in.; 57 x 91 mm, mount: 2 ½ x 4 in.; 64 x 103 mm), albumen photograph, produced by Elliott & Fry, 55 Baker Street, Portman Square, mounted on card, SIGNED by DARWIN on the mount; minor toning. Matted, framed, and glazed; not examined out of frame.

//www.darwinproject.ac.uk/people/about-darwin/darwin-s-photographic-portraits

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In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

A STRIKING IMAGE OF ONE OF THE MOST INFLUENTIAL FIGURES IN HUMAN HISTORY, SIGNED "CH. DARWIN". Darwin was very interested in the science of photography and its uses, and sat for many portraits during his lifetime.  Photography played an integral role in his Expression and Emotions in Man and Animal (1872), and Joseph Dalton Hooker deemed Darwin’s epistolary exchange of photographic images his “carte correspondence”. Once Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals was published, Darwin needed an updated carte-de-visite that he could send out to his friends and supporters. He turned to Elliot and Fry, the photographers who had made his most recent cartes. They produced at least four different poses, which Darwin then sent to friends and admirers.