“THE MOST IMPORTANT SINGLE WORK IN SCIENCE”: FIRST EDITION OF DARWIN’S ON THE ORIGIN OF SPECIES

DARWIN, Charles. 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. Octavo, original blind-stamped green cloth rebacked with original spine laid down, brown endpapers, housed in a custom slipcase.

Rare first edition, first issue, in original cloth, of one of the great landmarks in the history of science, one of only 1250 copies.

“This, the most important single work in science, brought man to his true place in nature” (Heralds of Science 199). Darwin “revolutionized our methods of thinking and our outlook on the natural order of things. The recognition that constant change is the order of the universe had been finally established and a vast step forward in the uniformity of nature had been taken” (PMM 344). “Without question a watershed work in the history of modern life sciences, Darwin’s Origin elaborated a proposition that species slowly evolve from common ancestors through the mechanism of natural selection. As he himself expected, Darwin’s theory became, and continues to be in some circles, the object of intense controversy” (American Philosophical Society). “The five years [of Darwin’s voyage on the Beagle] were the most important event in Darwin’s intellectual life and in the history of biological science. Darwin sailed with no formal training. He returned a hard-headed man of science… The experiences of his five years in the Beagle, how he dealt with them, and what they led to, built up into a process of epoch-making importance in the history of thought” (PMM). Darwin wrote in his diary that all 1250 copies of the first edition, published on November 24, were sold on the first day; however, more accurately, nearly all of the edition had been sold to the trade immediately, with the exception of personal copies set aside for Darwin and review copies. First issue, with publisher’s advertisements dated June, 1859, folding lithographic diagram facing page 117. Bound without half-title. Freeman’s binding variant a (no priority established). With small original binder’s ticket, as usual in first bindings. Freeman 373. Horblit, 23b. Dibner, 199. Owner signatures.

Occasional light scattered foxing to interior. Expert restoration to extremities, cloth and gilt quite attractive. An extremely good copy.