Charles Darwin, 1862

British and Foreign Orchids
Charles Darwin, 1862
DARWIN, Charles Robert (1809-1882). On the Various Contrivances by which British and Foreign Orchids are Fertilised by Insects, and on the Good Effects of Intercrossing. London: John Murray, 1862.

First edition of the first of Darwin's works to publish extensive evidence supporting his theory of evolution through natural selection. In a letter to his publisher, John Murray, Darwin wrote: "I think this little volume will do good to the Origin, as it will show that I have worked hard at details, & it will, perhaps, serve [to] illustrate how natural History may be worked under the belief of the modification of Species" (24 Sept. 1861; Darwin Correspondence Project 3264). In Life and Letters (vol. III p. 274), Asa Gray is quoted as saying: "if the Orchid-book (with a few trifling omissions) had appeared before the ‘Origin’ the author would have been canonized rather than anathematized by the natural theologians." Freeman 800; Norman 595.

Octavo (197 x 125mm). Folding wood-engraved plate, 33 wood engravings in the text; 32-page list of John Murray's books at end dated December 1861 (folding plate slightly unevenly folded with associated crumpling of edges, one or two spots). Publisher's dark plum cloth with orchid stamped in gilt on upper cover, cloth vertically lined, brown coated endpapers, with the ticket of Edmonds & Remnants of London [Freeman’s variant a] (extremities rubbed; endcaps nicked, with small loss to upper headcap; 5mm round discoloration on upper cover).