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 (first edition, first issue).
Octavo, vi, 366, 32 (publisher's advertisements) pages with 34 wood-engraved illustrations (some full-page, one a folding plate additional to the pagination).
Ribbon-embossed plum cloth blocked in gilt and blind; covers slightly worn at the corner-tips and unevenly sunned on the spine; old repair to a split at the head of the front joint; contemporary library stamps to a dozen pages (but see our footnote); front hinge cracked but firm; a few other minor signs of age and handling; a very good copy.
The scarce first issue of Darwin's first major work after 'On the Origin of Species' (1859). Its exploration of the mechanisms of pollination offered a persuasive, observable demonstration of his theory of natural selection in operation, in particular through the coevolution of insects and the sexual structures of the orchids that they fertilise. Although praised by botanists, the book did not sell well, and in later issues the sheets from the first printing were offered in a variant binding and with advertisements dated as late as 1871. This example is in the first-issue binding and has advertisements dated December 1861. The total edition likely comprised fewer than 2000 copies. This copy has the contemporary blindstamp of the Adelaide bookseller W.C. Rigby to the front free endpaper and flyleaf, and the contemporary library stamps of the Gawler Institute, attesting to the early importation of Darwin's works into colonial South Australia. The title page has an early manuscript shelf mark in ink, the Gawler Institute red inkstamp with the inserted reference number 1947, and a much later blue inkstamp for the Salisbury North High School Library. That this book has survived at all is cause for celebration. Freeman 800 ('variant a.').
Item #143986
Price (AUD):
$5,000.00