C. DARWIN On the Origin of Species 3rd ed 1861

November 23, 2021

Rare Books, Documents, Photos, and Artwork

Lot 31

C. DARWIN On the Origin of Species 3rd ed 1861

Estimate: $1,500 - $2,500

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Charles DARWIN On the Origin of Species... third edition

Offered for sale by Adam Langlands of 'Shadowrock Rare Books' - for more information please contact him via email at adamlanglands@gmail.com

Charles DARWIN (1809-1882) On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life … Third edition, with additions and corrections (seventh thousand). London, John Murray, 1861. Octavo (7 ¾ x 5 in; 197 x 127mm). Pp.[i-]vi-xix[xx], 1-538 + [i-ii] ad. Half-title, folding lithographic diagram, 2-page Murray advertisement on 2A6 (Occasional light spotting). Original green cloth by Edmonds and Remnants, Freeman's ‘variant a’, with the full point after 'Murray' in the imprint at the foot of the spine, covers blocked in blind with rules and elaborate foliate borders, spine gilt, matt brown endpapers ([see images]extremities bumped, small splits to the head and foot of the spine, inner hinges cracked but solid). Provenance: Wheldon & Wesley (letter and invoice dated 1975).

An excellent copy of the third edition of "certainly the most important biological book ever written". (Freeman). The cornerstone of evolutionary biology and Darwin's most important work. This edition 'was extensively altered, and is of interest for the addition of a table of differences between it and the second edition, a table which occurs in each subsequent edition, and also for the addition of the historical sketch... which was written to satisfy complaints that Darwin had not sufficiently considered his predecessors in the general theory of evolution... there is also a postscript on page xii... concern[ing] a review of the earlier editions by Asa Gray' (Freeman p. 78). Freeman 381.

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