DARWIN: VOYAGE OF THE BEAGLE

When Charles Darwin, grandson of Josiah Wedgwood, wanted to sail on HMS Beagle, his father, Robert, was unsure. It was Josiah Wedgwood II, Charles’s uncle, who wrote to Robert encouraging the voyage; a voyage that would shape the future. Working closely with Cambridge University Library, home of Darwin’s archive, Wedgwood’s design team has carefully curated original drawings from the voyage into a teaware collection rich in history and expertly crafted in Stoke-on-Trent, England.

A JOURNEY OF DISCOVERY

In 1831, HMS Beagle took 22-year-old Charles Darwin on a voyage that would transform our understanding of life itself. Through original illustrations from Darwin’s notebooks, preserved in an archive at Cambridge University Library, Wedgwood’s design team has captured this historic voyage in a collection that speaks to the explorer in all of us.

CAPTURING THE ADVENTURE

Darwin and the ship’s artist, Conrad Martens, sketched the flora, fauna, and landscapes they encountered: coral trees in Uruguay, giant tortoises in the Galapagos, traditional Tahitian fishermen… Throughout the voyage, they filled dozens of notebooks with drawings and notes.

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TREASURES OF DARWIN’S ARCHIVE

To create the collection, our design team worked closely with Cambridge University Library. From original illustrations, fragments of Josiah Wedgwood II’s letter to Darwin’s father, and elements re-illustrated by Wedgwood artists, six unique fine bone china tea sets emerged, each inspired by a different stop on the Beagle’s journey.

THE ENERGY OF EXPLORATION

In collaboration with DR. ME, a daring digital creative studio, this collection comes to life visually against a backdrop rich in texture and movement. Utilising artwork from each tea set into each digital illustration, the campaign brings a contemporary aesthetic to Darwin’s original work.

MADE IN ENGLAND

At the home of Wedgwood in Stoke-on-Trent, England, skilled craftspeople make the items in this collection using techniques developed over 260 years. The impeccable quality and finish of today’s Wedgwood pieces would fill Darwin’s grandfather, Josiah, with pride.

See our craft