DARWIN, Charles Robert (1809-1882). The Different Forms of Flowers on Plants of the Same Species . London: John Murray 1877. 8° (182 x 119mm). 15 woodblocks in text, 38 tables. Original green cloth, covers with blind frame, gilt spine (corners lightly rubbed). Provenance : PRESENTATION COPY TO CAROLINE WEDGWOOD (printed slip, 'From the author', tipped in before title; title with pencil signature, 'C.S. Wedgwood', and 'July' date). FIRST EDITION, PRESENTATION COPY TO CAROLINE. Following completion of the manuscript, Charles and Emma had a long June holiday in 1877 during which they stayed first with the Farrers at Abinger, and next with Caroline and Jos at nearby Leith Hill (see John Bowlby, Charles Darwin , 1990, p. 426). Dedicated to Asa Gray, the first edition of 1250 copies was issued on 9 July, 1877, in accordance with the 'July' date recorded by Caroline. 'No little discovery of mine ever gave me so much pleasure as the making out the meaning of hetero-styled flowers', Darwin remarked in his Autobiography (p. 51). In Desmond and Moore's view, ' Forms of Flowers capped his work on nature's complex "marriage arrangements". It was a botanical voyeur's diary. He had contrived all sorts of liaisons among the blossoms, spying on them through his eyeglass. After endless manual pollinations, myriad microscopic seed-counts, he described the results with due delicacy, showing how "legitimacy" was conferred on cross-fertilisations. Even before the first reviews appeared, he was wrapped up in his next book on plant movements' (p. 628). FINE COPY. For a leaf of the draft manuscript corrected by Darwin, see lot 17. Freeman 1277.
DARWIN, Charles Robert (1809-1882). The Different Forms of Flowers on Plants of the Same Species . London: John Murray 1877. 8° (182 x 119mm). 15 woodblocks in text, 38 tables. Original green cloth, covers with blind frame, gilt spine (corners lightly rubbed). Provenance : PRESENTATION COPY TO CAROLINE WEDGWOOD (printed slip, 'From the author', tipped in before title; title with pencil signature, 'C.S. Wedgwood', and 'July' date). FIRST EDITION, PRESENTATION COPY TO CAROLINE. Following completion of the manuscript, Charles and Emma had a long June holiday in 1877 during which they stayed first with the Farrers at Abinger, and next with Caroline and Jos at nearby Leith Hill (see John Bowlby, Charles Darwin , 1990, p. 426). Dedicated to Asa Gray, the first edition of 1250 copies was issued on 9 July, 1877, in accordance with the 'July' date recorded by Caroline. 'No little discovery of mine ever gave me so much pleasure as the making out the meaning of hetero-styled flowers', Darwin remarked in his Autobiography (p. 51). In Desmond and Moore's view, ' Forms of Flowers capped his work on nature's complex "marriage arrangements". It was a botanical voyeur's diary. He had contrived all sorts of liaisons among the blossoms, spying on them through his eyeglass. After endless manual pollinations, myriad microscopic seed-counts, he described the results with due delicacy, showing how "legitimacy" was conferred on cross-fertilisations. Even before the first reviews appeared, he was wrapped up in his next book on plant movements' (p. 628). FINE COPY. For a leaf of the draft manuscript corrected by Darwin, see lot 17. Freeman 1277.
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.jpg?w=400 "Source: Christie's")
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