Title: Autograph Letter Signed by Charles Darwin, discussing publication of the U.S. edition of the sequel to On the Origin of Species
Author: Darwin, Charles
Description: 35 lines, in ink, on 3 pp. of 4-page notesheet, signed Ch. Darwin. 17.7x11.4 cm. (7x4½").Excellent Autograph Letter Signed, in which Darwin writes to his publisher (Murray) about the printing in America of his sequel to The Origin of Species, and makes further inquires about the publication schedule of “Fur Darwin” and sales figures on the Origin and “the new book”. The book being printed in “such hot haste” in America is The Variation of Animals and Plants Under Domestication – for which the printers will not wait for stereotypes. Darwin wants the second edition to be used for the first American printing (due to corrections having been made), and he asks that sheets of it be sent to Asa Gray at Harvard, Darwin’s main American proponent. The Variation of Animals was to a great extent written coterminously with the Origin: it comprised the first portion of Darwin’s original “big manuscript” on evolution, and contains much of the empirical data supporting the theory – content which Darwin trimmed away from the Origin so as to make it more widely readable. “Fur Darwin” was a pro-evolution work which Darwin had translated from the German to support his position in England. The letter is URECORDED AND UNPUBLISHED.
Heading: Place Published: 4 Chester Place, Regent's Park [London]
Publisher:
Date Published: Wednesday [no date, c.1868]

Piece of mounting paper affixed to bottom of last page, not affecting text, tiny piece of first page adhered to third page, causing a small chip and obscuring a worn on the third page; very good.