Posted on Tuesday 20 May 2008
The Darwin Census is conducting a worldwide search for all first edition copies of the landmark work, Charles Darwin's On The
Origin of Species. The census will be used to create a database of all known existing copies, and to better understand the variations that occur within the printing.
So far the project, held at the University of Cambridge, has made the following discoveries: The first edition was published in 1859 by John Murray, with a recorded print run of 1,250 copies. It went on sale on November 24, and sold out the same day. There is a difference in the width of the word “London” that appears on the spine of the original binding, and at least four variations in the advertising pages at the back (including no advertisements at all).
The primary objective of the census is to locate and track all known, existing copies of On The Origin of Species. An additional incentive for the Census is to discover as much as possible about the pivotal scientific work, including three key aims: (1) to establish the frequency of the known variants; (2) to identify any unknown variants; and (3) to locate missing presentation copies.
The results of this census will be published next year, marking the 150th anniversary of the first Origin of Species publication, and the 200th birthday of Charles Darwin. Published by Darwin online, any owners wishing to remain anonymous can request for confidentiality.
While successfully locating many copies held in libraries and other institutions, the census have experienced greater difficulty in locating the privately owned copies. The Census asks for any bookseller or collector who owns an Origin of Species to email: darwin.census@gmail.com.
To learn more about the census, download forms, and respond, please go to the following website: http://darwin-online.org.uk/DarwinCensus.html.
Origin of Species. The census will be used to create a database of all known existing copies, and to better understand the variations that occur within the printing. So far the project, held at the University of Cambridge, has made the following discoveries: The first edition was published in 1859 by John Murray, with a recorded print run of 1,250 copies. It went on sale on November 24, and sold out the same day. There is a difference in the width of the word “London” that appears on the spine of the original binding, and at least four variations in the advertising pages at the back (including no advertisements at all).
The primary objective of the census is to locate and track all known, existing copies of On The Origin of Species. An additional incentive for the Census is to discover as much as possible about the pivotal scientific work, including three key aims: (1) to establish the frequency of the known variants; (2) to identify any unknown variants; and (3) to locate missing presentation copies.
The results of this census will be published next year, marking the 150th anniversary of the first Origin of Species publication, and the 200th birthday of Charles Darwin. Published by Darwin online, any owners wishing to remain anonymous can request for confidentiality.
While successfully locating many copies held in libraries and other institutions, the census have experienced greater difficulty in locating the privately owned copies. The Census asks for any bookseller or collector who owns an Origin of Species to email: darwin.census@gmail.com.
To learn more about the census, download forms, and respond, please go to the following website: http://darwin-online.org.uk/DarwinCensus.html.