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LYELL, Charles, Sir (1797-1875). Principles of Geology. London: John Murray, 1830-33.
3 volumes, 8° (223 x 143mm). Half-titles in volumes I and II, 3 engraved frontispieces (2 hand-coloured), 2 hand-coloured maps (one folding), one plain folding map and 5 plain plates. (Without half-title in second volume, plates lightly spotted.) Original boards, uncut (recently rebacked, new spine labels), contained in a modern slipcase. Provenance: Harrison D. Horblitt (booklabels; his sale Christie's East, 16 February 1994, lot 74).
FIRST EDITION OF 'A CLASSIC BY THE "FATHER OF MODERN GEOLOGY", presenting the doctrine of uniformitarianism, namely, that the processes of the past must be judged by those of the present' (Grolier/Horblit). Lyell's work had enormous impact on Darwin's thinking with its development of the concept of 'deep geological time' through observation of current geological processes as a 'key to the past' and, by extension, 'the past as a key to the present'. In Challinor's view, it 'proved a greater influence on the progress of the science [of geology] than any work before or since'. Challinor 125; Grolier/Horblit 70; Norman 1398; PMM cf. 344. (3)
3 volumes, 8° (223 x 143mm). Half-titles in volumes I and II, 3 engraved frontispieces (2 hand-coloured), 2 hand-coloured maps (one folding), one plain folding map and 5 plain plates. (Without half-title in second volume, plates lightly spotted.) Original boards, uncut (recently rebacked, new spine labels), contained in a modern slipcase. Provenance: Harrison D. Horblitt (booklabels; his sale Christie's East, 16 February 1994, lot 74).
FIRST EDITION OF 'A CLASSIC BY THE "FATHER OF MODERN GEOLOGY", presenting the doctrine of uniformitarianism, namely, that the processes of the past must be judged by those of the present' (Grolier/Horblit). Lyell's work had enormous impact on Darwin's thinking with its development of the concept of 'deep geological time' through observation of current geological processes as a 'key to the past' and, by extension, 'the past as a key to the present'. In Challinor's view, it 'proved a greater influence on the progress of the science [of geology] than any work before or since'. Challinor 125; Grolier/Horblit 70; Norman 1398; PMM cf. 344. (3)
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