Andres, of which Darwin was an 'Honorable Member'. George Buist (1805-60) was a founding member of the Literary and Philosophical Society of St. Buist / Bombay / from the author' (as described in the list of presentation copies of the Origin in Vol 8, Appendix III, p 556 and further note on p 559). Provenance: Inscribed in a secretarial hand 'Dr. 'There are no known author's presentation copies of the first edition inscribed in Darwin's hand' (Norman). The presentation copies likely number less than 30, allhaving secretarial inscriptions and were sent by the publisherat Darwin's request. The Origin was actually an 'abstract' of a larger work, tentatively titled Natural Selection, that Darwin never completed, although he salvaged much of the first part of the manuscript for The Variation of Animals and Plants under Domestication, published in 1868. Five further editions, each variously corrected and revised, appeared in Darwin's lifetime, as did eleven translations. Fifty-eight were distributed by Murray for review, promotion, and presentation, and Darwin reported that the balance was sold out on the first day of publication. Bern Dibner's Heralds of Science describes On the Origin of Species as 'the most important single work in science.' When the first edition was published on 24 November 1859, in a print run of 1,250 copies, it created an immediate sensation.

The recognition that constant change is the order of the universe had been finally established and a vast step forward in the uniformity of nature had been taken' (PMM). 'Darwin not only drew an entirely new picture of the workings of organic nature he revolutionized our methods of thinking and our outlook on the natural order of things.

First edition, presentation copy, of 'the most influential scientific work of the nineteenth century' (Horblit), 'the most important biological work ever written' (Freeman), and 'a turning point, not only in the history of science, but in the history of ideas in general' (DSB). PRESENTATION COPY OF DARWIN'S GREATEST WORK.

On the origin of species first edition