On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection. Charles Darwin.

Feb 2, 2015 | Videos

First edition, presentation copy, to Edward William Vernon Harcourt, inscribed by the recipient at the head of the title, “E. W. Harcourt, from the Author, 1859″ and with his bookplate to the front pastedown. Presentation copies of the Origin are rare, and no copy is known to have been inscribed by Darwin himself. Darwin had written to the naturalist Harcourt (1825–1891) on 19 August 1856 asking to borrow his copy of Christian Ludwig Brehm’s work on German ornithology, as he wanted “to see how far Brehm goes in splitting species”.

This edition has now sold, though to view all of our catalogued works by Darwin, click here to go to our website. 

Share this article



Our Latest Catalogue

This spring we bring you a seasonal selection of items fresh to our shelves including spectacular scientific and archaeological discoveries, colourful modern art, political posters, rousing war speeches, and much more.

Recent Articles

Collecting Editioned Prints: Gustav Klimt

Collecting Editioned Prints: Gustav Klimt

Gustav Klimt, one of the most recognizable artists of the 20th century, scandalized the Viennese establishment and awed his contemporaries with his opulent and erotic nudes. He rose to fame as a leading member of the Vienna Secession, a movement closely related to Art...

Drawn Together – The Synergy Between Writer and Artist

Drawn Together – The Synergy Between Writer and Artist

​Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland opens with an arresting illustration of the White Rabbit and the first thought from Alice is “what is the use of a book… without pictures or conversations?” It’s a great joke as Lewis Carroll shows us his book will have both pictures...