Beschreibung:

First edition, first issue of Darwin's first published book London, 1839 DARWIN, Charles Robert (1809-1882); FITZROY, Robert (1805-1865), ed. Narrative of the Surveying Voyages of His Majesty’s Ships Adventure and Beagle. London: Henry Colburn, 1839. First edition, first issue and complete, of Darwin’s first published book, Journal and Remarks 1832-1836 , in volume III. Darwin seems to have been genuinely surprised by FitzRoy's invitation to publish it as part of the official narrative of the voyage. Next to the Origin , it was his most important and most popular book, leading to the opening of his first notebook on “Transmutation of Species” in 1837. While his studies on the voyage concentrated initially on geology, the experience also aroused a desire to understand and explain the distribution and development of the species he encountered. He returned “almost convinced that species had not always been as they were since the creation, but had undergone change” (DSB III, p. 566). Overall, the great open-mindedness and pointed curiosity of the Journal make it the finest example of a scientific autobiography ever written. Freeman 10; Hill 607; Norman 584; Sabin 37826. Four volumes including index of vol. II, octavo (232 x 146mm). Half-titles, 44 engraved plates, 4 engraved charts and maps including one folded, 8 folding engraved maps inserted in cover pockets, and 6 woodcut illustrations, with 16 pages of advertisements dated August 1839 at end of appendix volume (long closed tear at fold of one map, short closed tears at folds of other maps; paper repairs on margin of one map; light marginal waterstains on most plates in vols. I and II affecting image of some plates; spotting and occasional light soiling). Original publisher’s dark blue cloth (rebacked in blue cloth preserving original spines). Provenance: Gilbert [Faw?] (signature dated “6/9/1959”).