On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection,
or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life.
London: John Murray, 1859 Stock Code: 142455
First edition of "the most influential scientific work of the 19th century" (Horblit) and "the most important biological book ever written" (Freeman); one of 1,250 copies. It is somewhat unusual to find the half-title preserved in rebound copies.
Description
Octavo (189 x 116 mm). Rebound to style by Aquarius in recent green calf, red spine label, compartments ruled in blind, spine ends and raised bands decoratively tooled in gilt, single fillet border to boards in gilt, marbled endpapers, edges sprinkled red.
Illustrations
Folding diagram facing p. 117.
Condition
Bound with the half-title, rarely present in a later binding; without the inserted advertisements usually but not always found. A crisp, clean copy; only the very slightest of foxing to first and last gatherings, top corners of two leaves lightly creased (half-title, I8), a short closed tear to fold of diagram, small area of loss to lower corner of S10, and singular instances of tiny chips to edges of B3, S11, T12, and X2. Clipped signature laid in of "Charles Darwin", though on the whole unlike the samples of his handwriting that we have previously handled.
Bibliography
Dibner 199; Freeman 373; Garrison-Morton 220; Horblit 23b; Norman 593; Printing and the Mind of Man 344b.
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