- Darwins personal items, original manuscripts and famous Beagle notebooks feature in a new exhibition - Date: Monday 9 February, 2009 Time: 09.30am Place: The Home of Charles Darwin, Down House, Luxted Road, Downe, near Orpington, Kent BR6 7JT (off the A21 or A233) Rare original objects, including notebooks written by Charles Darwin during his epic voyage on HMS Beagle, go on display in a new exhibition marking the 200th anniversary of his birth, at the house where he lived and worked for forty years, Down House, near Orpington in Kent. Opening in the year which also sees the 150th anniversary of the publication of On the Origin of Species, researched and written at Down House, the new £1m permanent exhibition opens to the public on 13 February. It presents Darwins life, work and theories in 21st century style and places Down House firmly on the international map as one of the worlds most important scientific heritage sites. Star attractions include: Darwins hat, microscope, notebooks and his copy of Das Kapital, inscribed by Karl Marx his Beagle notebooks and diary in digital format a full size replica of his tiny cabin on the Beagle exceptionally rare pages from the manuscript of On the Origin of Species and a first edition of the book original letters, family objects, manuscripts and specimens You are invited to send a reporter/photographer/crew to attend a press call from 09.30-11.30am where English Heritage experts will be on hand to talk about the exhibition, Darwins experiments at Down House and his family life. Please RSVP to: Angelah Sparg at: angelah.sparg@english-heritage.org.uk and for further press information please call Rebecca Milton, Angelah Sparg or Debbie Holden on 0207 973 3250.