“ALL RACES ARE OF ONE SPECIES”: JAMES PRICHARD’S NATURAL HISTORY OF MAN, 1855

PRICHARD, James Cowles. The Natural History of Man; Comprising Inquiries into the Modifying Influence of Physical and Moral Agencies of the Different Tribes of the Human Family. London: Baillière, 1855. Two volumes. Octavo, original blind- and gilt-stamped tan cloth, uncut. $1500.

Fourth edition of Prichard’s innovative synthesis of the races, “upon which modern ethnological research has been based” (PMM, 184), with 62 beautiful steel-engraved plates, 57 hand-colored.

Prichard's "vast researches were 'directed to the physical diversities which characterise different races of men… [from which] he concluded that the human race was originally dark-skinned… and that 'all races are of one species and of one family" (PMM, 183-84). The 57 hand-colored images in this fourth edition are drawn after well-known artists, chief among them George Catlin, to whose work eight of the images can be traced (and six others bear striking resemblance). First published in parts between 1841-42 and in book form in 1843. Sabin 65475. See Norman 1741-1746; Garrison & Morton 159. Contemporary owner signature. Bookseller's ticket.

Plates beautiful and fine, only slight foxing and smudging to preliminary and concluding pages, light wear to extremities of bindings, cover gilt bright. An extremely good copy.