Vestiges of the Natural History of Creation

[Chambers, Robert]

Edité par John Churchill, Princes Street, Soho, London, 1846

Fifth edition. Small octavo, pp iv, 423 +8 page publisher's catalogue, slightly age-toned internally, one gathering protruding and weak at the hinges, some pencil underlining throughout the chapters on plants and mammals, original publisher's pink cloth, slightly marked, the rear hinge weak, the rear joint broken so the spine is loose at one side and in danger of becoming completely detached, spine cracked and worn; with the stamp of the fruit grower Cecil H. Hooper and the earlier armorial bookplate of H. Fielder on the front endpapers. RARE. [Originally published in 1844, this work of speculative natural history and philosophy brought together various theories of stellar evolution with the progressive transmutation of species in an accessible narrative which tied together numerous scientific theories of the age. It was initially well received by polite Victorian society and became an international bestseller, but its unorthodox themes contradicted the natural theology fashionable at the time and were reviled by clergyman and subsequently by scientists who readily found fault with its amateurish deficiencies. 'Vestiges' caused a shift in public opinion which - so Charles Darwin believed - prepared the public mind for the scientific theories of evolution by natural selection which followed from the publication of 'On the Origin of Species' in 1859. The authorship of 'Vestiges' was finally revealed in the 12th edition of 1884. For a full account, one should read James Secord's 624 page "Victorian Sensation" [2000].]. N° de réf. du vendeur 022503

Détails bibliographiques

Titre : Vestiges of the Natural History of Creation
Éditeur : John Churchill, Princes Street, Soho, London
Date d'édition : 1846
Reliure : Cloth
Etat : Fair
Edition : Fifth edition.