L11408

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Lot 15
  • 15

Darwin, Charles.

Estimate
15,000 - 20,000 GBP
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Description

  • The Variation of Animals and Plants under Domestication. John Murray, 1868
  • PAPER
8vo, first edition, one of 1,500 copies (of which this is one of 1,250 first issue copies), presentation copy inscribed by Darwin on the front endpaper to his daughter Henrietta ("Henrietta Darwin | from Her Father"), with the later ownership beneath of the author's granddaughter, the artist Gwen Raverat (née Darwin), volume 2 also with Gwen's signature dated 1928, pencil revisions and markings on several pages of the text, apparently for the second edition of 1875, with at least two leaves with related annotations and revisions, apparently in Henrietta's hand, inserted alongside, 43 woodcut illustrations, five errata on p.vi of volume 1 and nine in seven lines on p.viii of volume 2, 32pp. advertisements dated April 1867 at the end of volume 1, one leaf of advertisements dated February 1868 at the end of volume 2, original smooth green cloth decorated in blind and with spines lettered gilt (with first issue imprint), dark green endpapers, some slight spotting at the beginning and end, some slight wear to edges of binding, cloth nicked at head and base of the spine; [together with:]
Biographical Sketch of an Infant. [offprint from] Mind A Quarterly Review. No. 7. July 1877, also presentation copy from Darwin to Henrietta, inscribed in the hand of the recipient ("H.E. Litchfield | from C. Darwin"), 6 leaves, pamphlet, originally pinned to advertisement leaf at the end of volume 1of work above, some slight spotting, pin-holes

Provenance

the author's daughter Henrietta (1843-1927), presentation inscription and notes; the author's granddaughter, the artist Gwendolen Raverat (née Darwin), ownership signatures; thence by descent

Literature

Freeman 877, 1305

Condition

Condition is described in the main body of the cataloguing, when appropriate.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Catalogue Note

A highly important family presentation and annotated copy, apparently marked up under authorial supervision for the extensively altered second edition of 1875. Variation under Domestication, corresponding to the first two intended chapters, was the only section of Darwin's expanded work on the origin of species which was published in his lifetime, and is in essence a full statement of the facts on which the theories of the Origin were based. It took Darwin many years to write, and provides overwhelming evidence for the ubiquity of variation in the natural world, as well as offering up his provisional hypothesis of pangenesis, aiming to explain how heritable traits were passed from parents to offspring. It is the first time that the phrase "survival of the fittest" appears in Darwin's published work. This first issue was published on 30 January 1868. Demand from the reading public was extraordinarily and unexpectedly strong, with all copies sold within a week. A second issue appeared in February.

Darwin drew upon many members of his immediate family for assistance with his research and the writing of his books. On the female side his wife Emma copied out his manuscripts and checked proofs, while Henrietta, as evidenced here, worked as a trusted editor. Comparison with the 1875 edition suggests that this, at least, was one of the copies of the first edition which Henrietta used, under guidance or possibly dictation from her father, to prepare new copy. The inserted manuscript revision in Henrietta's hand opposite p.108, for instance, dealing with the domestic rabbit, almost matches the beginning of the new paragraph in the later edition: "108 | We come now to the Himalayan | breed somtimes called | Chinese, Polish or Russian. | These pretty rabbits etc". Emma would go on to edit The Descent of Man, The Expression of the Emotions in Man in Animals, and Coral Reefs.

The remarkable Biographical Sketch of an Infant was written up by Darwin from close observations in his diary of his first-born son William Erasmus, from 1839-41. The editor of a modern reprint has observed that Darwin "conquered...most of developmental psychology in a single sweep" (C. Ounstead, 1971).