The Power of Movement in Plants.
by Darwin, Charles. Assisted by Francis Darwin
- Used
- Hardcover
- first
- Condition
- See description
- Seller
-
San Francisco, California, United States
Payment Methods Accepted
About This Item
8vo. London: John Murray, 1880. 8vo, x, 592, 32 (ads dated May 1878) pp. Illustrated with 196 in-text woodcuts. Original green blind-stamped cloth, backstrip titled in gilt, brown coated endpapers, hinges cracked, a little wear to crown and foot of backstrip, text block edges (but not pages) stained, an unsophisticated copy. § § First edition, first issue, inscribed in Charles Darwin’s hand, “Elizabeth Darwin, From her Father.” Presentation copies from Darwin, in his own hand, are exceptionally rare (most presentation copies were inscribed “from the author” by the publisher); a copy inscribed to a family member by Darwin himself is extraordinarily so. Elizabeth Darwin, known as Bessy, was Charles and Emma Darwin’s youngest daughter and perhaps the most enigmatic of all their ten children. She is remembered as a quiet soul who lived in the family home until the death of her mother, and then in a cottage on her own near her three brothers until her death in 1926. The book which Darwin has inscribed to her was written with the assistance of her brother, Francis, who had himself become an accomplished botanist. It is an extension of Darwin's earlier work on movement in climbing plants, showing that the same mechanisms hold true for flowering plants in general. It was well reviewed and immediately sold 1500 copies.Darwin was an exceptionally affectionate father whose anxious feelings for his own children greatly spurred his study of inherited characteristics and of evolution. (He and his wife Emma were first cousins, a genetic liability that tormented him.) This book, written in partnership with one of his children and presented to another, is a potent testament to the intertwining of scientific genius and fatherhood that so characterized Darwin and catalyzed his momentous career. Books inscribed by Darwin to his children are extremely rare on the market. The last such book at auction - a copy of The Descent of Man and Selection in Relation to Sex, inscribed by Darwin to his daughter Henrietta (who had edited the book) - sold for £90,000 at Sotheby's in 2015.
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Details
- Bookseller
- John Windle Antiquarian Bookseller (US)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- 110418
- Title
- The Power of Movement in Plants.
- Author
- Darwin, Charles. Assisted by Francis Darwin
- Book Condition
- Used
- Binding
- Hardcover
- Publisher
- John Murray
- Place of Publication
- London
- Date Published
- 1880
- Size
- 8vo
- Weight
- 0.00 lbs
Terms of Sale
John Windle Antiquarian Bookseller
5 day return guarantee, with full refund not including shipping costs for up to 5 days after delivery if an item arrives misdescribed or damaged.
About the Seller
John Windle Antiquarian Bookseller
Biblio member since 2005
San Francisco, California
About John Windle Antiquarian Bookseller
John Windle Antiquarian Bookseller offers an exceptional selection of rare books and manuscripts from medieval times through the twentieth century; we specialize in illustrated material, particularly the work of William Blake and his circle. Located in downtown San Francisco, we have served an international clientele of private collectors, libraries, and institutions for 35 years. We are actively purchasing books and manuscripts in all fields, especially medieval illuminated and text manuscripts; material on California, Hawaii, and Pacific voyages; illustrated books and fine bindings from the 15th through the 20th century; and fine press printing. William Blake, Mary Wollstonecraft, and Thomas Frognall Dibdin remain special interests. We are members of the ABAA, ILAB, and PBFA, and we subscribe to the code of ethics endorsed by reputable antiquarian booksellers worldwide.
Glossary
Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:
- First Edition
- In book collecting, the first edition is the earliest published form of a book. A book may have more than one first edition in...
- Text Block
- Most simply the inside pages of a book. More precisely, the block of paper formed by the cut and stacked pages of a book....
- Cloth
- "Cloth-bound" generally refers to a hardcover book with cloth covering the outside of the book covers. The cloth is stretched...
- Inscribed
- When a book is described as being inscribed, it indicates that a short note written by the author or a previous owner has been...
- Edges
- The collective of the top, fore and bottom edges of the text block of the book, being that part of the edges of the pages of a...
- Cracked
- In reference to a hinge or a book's binding, means that the glue which holds the opposing leaves has allowed them to separate,...
- Gilt
- The decorative application of gold or gold coloring to a portion of a book on the spine, edges of the text block, or an inlay in...