Stolen thingsbeingsecretly returnedis one of our pet breeds of story here at IFLScience , and this week a doozy come from Cambridge University Library , UK , where someone snuck back some stolen notebooks that once belonged to Charles Darwin . The close - priceless books ( estimated to be worthseveral billion ) were dropped off in a pink endowment bag which carry an envelope with a rather singular eminence addressed to the bibliothec .
Inside the envelope were the two books which had been wrap in clingfilm and target into corner . One of the two contains Darwin ’s 1837 " Tree of Life " sketch on a pageboy begin with the words “ I think ” before the naturalist created a diagrammatic representation of related to species within a genus .
The notebooks were first stolen sometime between 2000 and 2001 following a photoshoot of the subroutine library ’s Special Collections Strong Rooms where their most worthful collection are maintain . After the shoot , a unremarkable check the following January unveil that a small corner containing the two notebooks go to Darwin was missing .
In early 2020 , fresh attempt were launched to immobilise down its fix including fingerprint examinations of theDarwin Archivewhich consist of around 189 box . However , their location rest a secret and it was close that they had indeed been stolen .
Confirmation of the theft galvanized Cambridge University Librarian Dr Jessica Gardner to found a worldwide collection for information with the aid of Cambridgeshire Police and Interpol . Fifteen month later , perhaps feeling the pressure , their anonymous keeper come back the two books with a note .
The wanted notebook computer return from their change of location in upright condition with no apparent evidence of damage since they were last under the maintenance of the program library . They had been bound together in cleave picture show and leave inside a brilliant pinkish gift cup of tea on the flooring outside the Librarian ’s post on March 9 , 2022 .
“ My sense of relief at the notebooks ’ safe return is profound and almost impossible to adequately express , ” said Gardner , who became Cambridge University Librarian in 2017 , in arelease . “ Along with so many others , all across the world , I was heartbroken to learn of their loss and my joy at their rejoinder is immense . ”
vacation officially over , the books are to get back to body of work as part of a display in an upcoming exhibition start from July 9 calledDarwin In Conversation .
“ The lonesome aim of our public solicitation was to have the manuscripts returned to our safekeeping and I am delighted to have had such a successful outcome in such a relatively short distance of time , ” tell Gardener .
“ The notebook can now retake their rightful place alongside the rest of the Darwin Archive at Cambridge , at the bosom of the nation ’s cultural and scientific heritage , alongside the archives of Sir Isaac Newton and Professor Stephen Hawking . ”
