Wallace, Alfred Russel--Parry, Richard

8vo, FIRST EDITION, half-title, folding table, original cloth, uncut, spine slightly faded, lower cover slightly marked

Morey Quayle Jones, bookplate

the condition of this lot is as described in the catalogue description
"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."

The History of Kington contains Wallace's first published work, "An Essay on the Best Method of Conducting the Kington Mechanic's Institution, by Mr. A. Wallace, a Member of the Institute" (pp.66-70).

"By mid-1837 Wallace had joined the eldest brother, William, in Bedfordshire to learn the surveying trade. In January 1839 he was temporarily apprenticed to a watchmaker, but less than a year later was back with William, by then working in Hereford. In these and the following years he gained a good practical education in a number of technical trades (surveying, drafting and map-making, mechanics, building design and construction, agricultural chemistry, and so on), and began to develop an amateur's interest in natural history subjects, especially geology, astronomy, and botany. In 1841 he became associated with the newly formed Kington Mechanics' Institution and in that same year or the next, on moving to the Welsh town of Neath, began attending lectures sponsored by the Neath area's scientific societies. Soon he was frequenting the local libraries and giving his own lectures on various popular science subjects at the Neath Mechanics' Institute. In the early 1840s he also began to write: one of his first efforts, on the disposition of mechanics' institutes, was composed about 1841 and reached print in a history of Kington published in 1845" (ODNB).