Beschreibung:

DARWIN, CHARLES. 1809-1882. Autograph Letter Signed ("Ch. Darwin") arranging for a new American edition of Origin of Species to Charles Layton, Appleton's London agent, 3 pp, 8vo (bifolium), on Down letterhead ("Bromley" crossed out), Beckenham, November 26, [1869], housed in a printed gray Autograph folder. Provenance: the Dodge Family collection. DARWIN ARRANGES PUBLICATION OF THE LONG AWAITED SECOND AMERICAN EDITION THROUGH APPLETON. Writing to Charles Layton, Appleton's agent in London, Darwin citing the impossibility of stereotype plates for a new edition of Origin, but offering to try to arrange stereotypes through Murray for his new book Descent of Man: "If Mr. Appleton will reprint the 5th edition of the Origin, I will ... persuade Mr. Murray to supply stereotype plates of my new book on the Descent of Man...." The 5th London edition of Origin of Species is the first to include the words "survival of the fittest." Darwin had been pushing for a new American edition of Origin with corrections for many years, and on November 24th had written to Layton, "I have long earnestly wished for a new edition of the Origin in the United States ... I had resolved soon to write to Professor Asa Gray to ask him to find some publisher who would print the new edition of the Origin...." In a postscript he adds, "You will understand that I cannot agree with Mr Appleton about my new book, unless he is willing to print a new Edit of Origin" (Darwin Correspondence Project, "Letter no. 7007," accessed on 3 May 2019, http://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/DCP-LETT-7007). Since the American edition of 1860, Appleton had reprinted but not prepared any new edition for the U.S. market. As it happened, Appleton and Darwin agreed to a new edition for Origin, made from stereotyped plates created by Appleton from the 5th London edition sheets (as suggested by Darwin in this letter), additionally incorporating a list of further changes supplied by Darwin.