Fragments from the Galápagos: Photographing Darwin’s Finches

Charles Darwin was only twenty-six years old when HMS Beagle arrived at the Galápagos Islands in September 1835. Despite his youth, he was already an experienced naturalist, having spent nearly four years gaining field experience during the ship’s voyage around the world. Yet what he found on the islands left a profound impression even on a scientist seasoned by years of travel and fieldwork. Alongside giant tortoises and bizarre marine iguanas, Darwin’s curiosity was captured by small, dull-colored birds that resembled the finches of the Old World.