DARWIN WRITES ABOUT HIS EARLY EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY BOOK, THE STRUCTURE AND DISTRIBUTION OF CORAL REEF

CHARLES DARWIN (1809-1882). Darwin revolutionized science with his groundbreaking-but-controversial theory of evolution, which he introduced in his seminal On the Origin of Species, published in 1859. 

ALS. 2pg. 6” x 8”. July 10 [circa 1872 to 1874]. Down.  An autograph letter signed “Ch Darwin” on his “Kent” letterhead.  He penned: "I have much pleasure in informing you that the work you refer to was published under the following title. 'The Structure and Distribution of Coral Reef 1842, Smith Elder & Co. London - I am not sure whether it is now - separately or bound up with two other titles, also published by the same first.  Pray do not think about the postage, as I have the pleasure in answering your query."  1842’s The Structure and Distribution of Coral Reefs, Being the first part of the geology of the voyage of the Beagle, under the command of Capt. Fitzroy, R.N. during the years 1832 to 1836 was an early scientific book after his five-year voyage on the Beagle.  By the 1870s, once Darwin became famous, his early work was out of print and difficult to locate.  In 1873, he wrote to his publisher, Smith Elder, asking them to republish the now-popular book.  The three-volume set, as mentioned by Darwin, was 1851’s Geology of the ‘Beagle’: Geological observations on coral reefs, volcanic islands, and on South America published by Smith, Elder.  The letter has a fold separation along the central fold and some light staining to the area at the top of the central fold.  It is matted in green and framed in wood.  This letter is unknown to the Darwin Correspondence Project.  A fine Darwin letter.