Portraits of Charles Darwin and Francis Galton

What it is

This is a printed plate, labelled Plate XXXVII, reproducing two black-and-white photographic portraits. The upper, larger portrait shows a seated, bald-crowned man with a full beard, a dark jacket and a checked waistcoat, resting one arm on a chair. The smaller lower portrait shows a man in profile wearing a dark jacket and bow tie. The printed captions name Charles Darwin, aged 51, and Francis Galton, aged about 50, and add a note about their resemblance. The Wellcome Collection in London holds the source.

Why it matters

Darwin and Galton were cousins, and the pairing invites viewers to compare their faces. Galton later became known for his work on heredity and on measuring human traits, so a page that sets their likenesses side by side connects two scientists who shared an interest in how traits pass between people. The plate also gives a clear view of Darwin's appearance in middle age.

Look closer

• What does the caption say about resemblance, and do you see the same resemblance in the two faces?
• Who arranged these portraits on one plate, and why might they have chosen to pair two cousins?
• What does a printed plate leave out about the two men that a single portrait would not show?