Details
DARWIN, Charles. On the Various Contrivances by which British and Foreign Orchids are Fertilised by Insects, and on the Good Effects of Intercrossing. London: John Murray, 1862.
8o in 12s (196 x 125 mm). 32 pp. publisher's catalogue dated December 1861 at end. Folding wood-engraved plate, wood-engravings in the text (one or two spots). Original dark plum cloth decorated in blind with vertical lines and fine gilt block orchid stamped on upper cover [Freeman first issue binding variant], brown coated endpapers, uncut (extremities slightly rubbed, spine a bit faded and scuffed at head, front inner hinge weak). Provenance: William Darwin Fox (1805-1880) Darwin's cousin (early bookseller's note recto of first blank); Cecil Graham (specimen of "Gulf Stream Weed" collected in 1881 loosely inserted).
"QUITE UNIQUE - THERE IS NOTHING IN THE WHOLE RANGE OF BOTANICAL LITERATURE TO COMPARE IT WITH" (Hooker).
FIRST EDITION of the first of Darwin's works to publish extensive evidence supporting his theory of Evolution through natural selection. "It will perhaps serve to illustrate how Natural History may be worked under the belief of the modification of species." (Darwin). Clark (pp. 180 - 181); Freeman 800; Norman 595.
[With:]
DARWIN, Charles. The Variation of Animals and Plants under Domestication. London: John Murray, 1868. 2 volumes, 8o (221 x 140 mm). Without 32pp. publisher's catalogue volume one, with 2 pp. advertisements integral with text dated February 1868 at end volume two. Numerous wood-engravings and plans in text. (Lightly browned, one or two marginal tears, occasionally crossing the text.) Original green cloth [Freeman first issue binding variant], covers decorated in blind, spine lettered and decorated in gilt, uncut (rebacked preserving the original cloth, extremities bumped and a bit scuffed). Provenance: John Denby B.A. (bookplates and penciled marginalia presumed to be in his hand); discreet 20th-century leather library label in volume one. FIRST EDITION, FIRST ISSUE with five errata on p. vi of volume one and nine in seven lines on p. viii of volume two; and publisher's imprint on the spines in a single line. Freeman 877.
[With:]
DARWIN, Charles. The Descent of Man, and Selection in Relation to Sex. London: John Murray, 1871.
2 volumes, 8o (185 x 121 mm). 16 pp. publisher's catalogue dated January 1871 at the end of each volume (last page in volume one torn and dust soiled). Numerous wood-engravings in text. (Lightly browned, a few top corners creased, one or two spots.) Original green cloth, covers decorated in blind, spine decorated and lettered in gilt (extremities a bit rubbed, inner hinges of volume one just starting); modern quarter morocco gilt slipcase. Provenance: F. Fitzgeraldo(?) (contemporary signature volume two).
"WHEN I PUBLISH MY BOOK, I CAN SEE THAT I SHALL MEET WITH UNIVERSAL DISAPPROBATION, IF NOT EXECUTION" (Darwin).
FIRST EDITION, FIRST ISSUE, with first word on p.297 of volume one "transmitted", and the following issue points in volume two: printer's note on the verso of the half-title; seventeen errata for volume one and eight for volume two listed on the verso of the title-page; Postscript present after p.viii.
The Descent of Man contained material deliberately omitted from Origin in order to increase that book's chances of public acceptance. Now Darwin controversially "compared man's physical and psychological characteristics to similar traits in apes and other animals, showing how even man's mind and moral sense could have developed through evolutionary processes" (Norman). Clark pp. 191- 195; Freeman 937; Garrison-Morton 170; Norman 599.
DARWIN, Charles. The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals. London: John Murray, 1872. 8o (187 x 126 mm). 4pp. integral publisher's advertisements dated November 1872 at end. 7 heliotype plates (3 folding), numerous wood-engravings in the text (plates lightly browned, versos spotted). (Lacking the first blank, lightly browned, some spotting particularly to the preliminaries and near the plates as usual.) Original green cloth, covers decorated in blind, spine decorated and lettered in gilt, uncut (extremities barely touched, front inner hinge just starting). Provenance: Meyer Friedman (1910-2001), American cardiologist (bookplate). FIRST EDITION, FIRST ISSUE and a fine copy from the library of the pre-eminent doctor who with his colleague R.H. Rosenman coined the phrase "Type A personality" to describe chronically angry and impatient people whose behavior increases their risk of heart attack. The sequel to the Descent of Man in which Darwin makes the key point that man's facial muscles had evolved from the faces of monkeys, and were not divinely created as a unique means of self-expression. With signature "b" on the fourth leaf of preliminaries, "that' spelled correctly in the first line of p. 208 and last signatures 2B2 and 2C3. Freeman 1141; Norman 600.
DARWIN, Charles. Insectivorous Plants. London: John Murray, 1875. 8o in 12s (183 x 121 mm). Numerous wood-engravings in text. (Top corner of half-title renewed and with title-page and last pages of text also unevenly browned, lightly browned.) Original green cloth, covers decorated in blind, spine lettered and decorated in gilt (rebacked preserving the original cloth, a bit rubbed, inner hinges repaired). Provenance: Publisher's presentation copy (blindstamp on title-page); A.E. Pratt, possibly Antwerp Edgar Pratt the late 19th-century naturalist and plant-hunter (rubberstamps and penciled marks). FIRST EDITION, PUBLISHER'S PRESENTATION COPY with discreet blindstamp on the title-page "Presented by Mr. Murray". Freeman 1217; Norman 601.
DARWIN, Charles. The Effects of Cross and Self Fertilisation in the Vegetable Kingdom. London: John Murray, 1876. 8o (190 x 126 mm). Three line errata slip after p. viii. One diagram and numerous tables in the text. Original green cloth, decorated in blind on the covers, lettered and decorated in gilt on the spine, uncut and largely unopened (extremities just touched). FIRST EDITION, A FINE COPY. A technical and detailed complement to the Fertilisation of Orchids. Freeman 1249.
DARWIN, Charles. The Different Forms of Flowers on Plants of the Same Species. London: John Murray, 1877. 8o (187 x 119 mm). 32pp. publisher's catalogue dated March 1877. Numerous wood-engravings and tables in text. Original green cloth, covers decorated in blind, spine lettered and decorated in gilt, uncut and largely unopened (rebacked, extremities rubbed, inner hinges repaired). FIRST EDITION. Freeman 1277; Norman 602.
DARWIN, Charles. The Power of Movement in Plants... Assisted by Francis Darwin. London: John Murray, 1880. 8o (188 x 125 mm). 32 pp. page publisher's catalogue dated May 1878 at end (last pages spotted). Numerous wood-engravings in the text. (Lightly browned, preliminaries spotted.) Original green cloth, covers decorated in blind, spine lettered and decorated in gilt, uncut (a few small stains, extremities bumped, inner hinges weak). FIRST EDITION, FIRST ISSUE, with two lines of errata on p. x. Freeman 1325.
DARWIN, Charles. The Formation of Vegetable Mould through the Action of Worms with Observations on their Habits. London: John Murray, 1881. 8o (182 x 121 mm). Numerous wood-engravings in the text. (Light spotting to title, one or two marginal stains.) Original green cloth, covers decorated in blind, spine lettered and decorated in gilt (extremities a bit bumped, one or two marks, inner hinges weak). Provenance: Edward Fenton Elwin, author, Anglican priest and possibly son of Whitwell Elwin (signature dated January 1882); E. Whitaker (signature). FIRST EDITION. A PIONEER STUDY IN QUANTATIVE ECOLOGY (DSB). Darwin "calculated from the weight of worm-castings that on one acre in one year's time eighteen tons of soil are brought to the surface by worms." (DSB). Freeman 1357; Norman 603. (11)
8
"QUITE UNIQUE - THERE IS NOTHING IN THE WHOLE RANGE OF BOTANICAL LITERATURE TO COMPARE IT WITH" (Hooker).
FIRST EDITION of the first of Darwin's works to publish extensive evidence supporting his theory of Evolution through natural selection. "It will perhaps serve to illustrate how Natural History may be worked under the belief of the modification of species." (Darwin). Clark (pp. 180 - 181); Freeman 800; Norman 595.
[With:]
DARWIN, Charles. The Variation of Animals and Plants under Domestication. London: John Murray, 1868. 2 volumes, 8
[With:]
DARWIN, Charles. The Descent of Man, and Selection in Relation to Sex. London: John Murray, 1871.
2 volumes, 8
"WHEN I PUBLISH MY BOOK, I CAN SEE THAT I SHALL MEET WITH UNIVERSAL DISAPPROBATION, IF NOT EXECUTION" (Darwin).
FIRST EDITION, FIRST ISSUE, with first word on p.297 of volume one "transmitted", and the following issue points in volume two: printer's note on the verso of the half-title; seventeen errata for volume one and eight for volume two listed on the verso of the title-page; Postscript present after p.viii.
The Descent of Man contained material deliberately omitted from Origin in order to increase that book's chances of public acceptance. Now Darwin controversially "compared man's physical and psychological characteristics to similar traits in apes and other animals, showing how even man's mind and moral sense could have developed through evolutionary processes" (Norman). Clark pp. 191- 195; Freeman 937; Garrison-Morton 170; Norman 599.
DARWIN, Charles. The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals. London: John Murray, 1872. 8
DARWIN, Charles. Insectivorous Plants. London: John Murray, 1875. 8
DARWIN, Charles. The Effects of Cross and Self Fertilisation in the Vegetable Kingdom. London: John Murray, 1876. 8
DARWIN, Charles. The Different Forms of Flowers on Plants of the Same Species. London: John Murray, 1877. 8
DARWIN, Charles. The Power of Movement in Plants... Assisted by Francis Darwin. London: John Murray, 1880. 8
DARWIN, Charles. The Formation of Vegetable Mould through the Action of Worms with Observations on their Habits. London: John Murray, 1881. 8