- 399
WATSON & CRICK. MOLECULAR STRUCTURE OF NUCLEIC ACIDS, OFFPRINT NATURE 171 (1953), 737-741
Estimate
40,000 - 50,000 GBP
bidding is closed
Description
- "Molecular Structure of Nucleic Acids. A Structure of Deoxyribose Nucleic Acid." [With:] Maurice H.F. Wilkins, Alexander R. Stokes & Herbert R. Wilson, "Molecular Structure of Deoxypentose Nucleic Acids." [With:] Rosalind E. Franklin & R.G. Gosling, "Molecular Configuration in Sodium Thymonucleate." Offprint from Nature, vol. 171, pp. 737 - 741, April 25, 1953. London: Fisher, Knight & Co. Ltd., for Macmillan & Co. Ltd., 1953
- paper
8vo, 13 [1] pp. consisting of one stapled quire with a final leaf tipped onto the gutter margin as issued, two half-tone and two line illustrations, preserved in green cloth chemise and quarter green morocco clamshell box
Literature
Grolier Medicine 99; Dibner, Heralds of Science (2nd ed.), 200
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."
"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
FIRST EDITION OF THE IDENTIFICATION OF THE DOUBLE HELIX STRUCTURE OF DNA, THE MOST IMPORTANT SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERY OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY, IN THE RARER THREE-PAPER OFFPRINT ISSUE, SIGNED BY WATSON, CRICK, WILKINS AND GOSLING.
Research into DNA was conducted by Watson and Crick at the Cavendish Laboratories, Cambridge, and by Maurice Wilkins and Rosalind Franklin at King's College, London. When the two teams combined the results of their studies, it was clear that the X-ray photographs of the London team provided the evidence to support the hypothetical "double helix" structure proposed by the Cambridge team. Watson, Crick and Wilkins were jointly awarded the Noble Prize in 1962. Two offprint issues appeared: one reprinted only the Watson and Crick paper, while the other reprinted the three papers that offered a full explanation of the background to the discovery. For the three-paper offprint issue, the text of the three papers was partially reset, printed as a single column on a small octavo page (unlike the journal issue which appeared in 2 columns), and repaginated [1] - [14]. The print run of the offprint was small, and it is considerably rarer than the single paper issue. SIGNED COPIES ARE EVEN RARER, WITH ONLY THREE OTHERS SIGNED BY AT LEAST FOUR OF THE AUTHORS APPEARING AT AUCTION SINCE 1975.
This copy is signed in ink by Watson, Crick and Wilkins at the head of the first page, and by R.G. Gosling on the final page, at the end of the third paper, which he co-authored with Rosalind Franklin.
Research into DNA was conducted by Watson and Crick at the Cavendish Laboratories, Cambridge, and by Maurice Wilkins and Rosalind Franklin at King's College, London. When the two teams combined the results of their studies, it was clear that the X-ray photographs of the London team provided the evidence to support the hypothetical "double helix" structure proposed by the Cambridge team. Watson, Crick and Wilkins were jointly awarded the Noble Prize in 1962. Two offprint issues appeared: one reprinted only the Watson and Crick paper, while the other reprinted the three papers that offered a full explanation of the background to the discovery. For the three-paper offprint issue, the text of the three papers was partially reset, printed as a single column on a small octavo page (unlike the journal issue which appeared in 2 columns), and repaginated [1] - [14]. The print run of the offprint was small, and it is considerably rarer than the single paper issue. SIGNED COPIES ARE EVEN RARER, WITH ONLY THREE OTHERS SIGNED BY AT LEAST FOUR OF THE AUTHORS APPEARING AT AUCTION SINCE 1975.
This copy is signed in ink by Watson, Crick and Wilkins at the head of the first page, and by R.G. Gosling on the final page, at the end of the third paper, which he co-authored with Rosalind Franklin.