(ORDO NEWS) — Two of Charles Darwin’s notebooks, including one with his iconic Tree of Life sketch, were returned anonymously to the Cambridge University Library almost 22 years after they were stolen.
Among the stolen notebooks was an 1837 sketch of The Tree of Life.
Two nearly priceless Charles Darwin notebooks (estimated at several million dollars) were left in a pink gift bag that contained an envelope with a rather peculiar note addressed to the librarian.
The note read:
“Librarian
Happy easter
X”
Who stole Darwin’s notebooks and when?
Darwin’s notebooks went missing sometime between 2000 and 2001 after a photo shoot in the special rooms of the library, where the most valuable collections are kept.
During a routine check in January, the librarian discovered that a small box containing two of the scholar’s notebooks was missing.
Specialists rechecked the archives over and over again, the police took fingerprints and looked for the criminal… But they never found anyone.
Last year, Cambridge University Librarian Dr. Jessica Gardner asked the public and Interpol to help find the missing notebooks. After 15 months, anonymous returned them.
The books were wrapped tightly in cling film, and experts found no signs of damage. Anonymous placed them outside the library office on March 9, 2022 – in the blind spot for CCTV cameras.
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