Rare Darwin On the Origin of Species Presentation Copy Leads Fine Books & Manuscripts Sale

A very rare first edition and author’s presentation copy of Charles Darwin’s On the Origin of Species from 1859 leads Bonhams' Knightsbridge Fine Books and Manuscripts Sale on March 20. The first edition is being offered with an estimate of £150,000-200,000.

Only 1,250 copies were initially printed in 1859 of the British naturalist’s study in evolution. He gifted one of them to the distinguished British-born botanist and physician Dr. Hugh Weddell whom he greatly admired. Dr H.A. Weddell’s name appeared on the manuscript list of persons to receive copies of the first edition of On the Origin of Species drawn up by Darwin sometime between August and October 1859. Only a few dozen copies were presented by Charles Darwin to his circle.

Also going under the hammer are the last known photographic portrait of Fyodor Dostoevsky, and an exceptionally important land deed signed by Māori chiefs that represents the earliest organised attempt of the colonisation of New Zealand. The Dostoevsky cabinet portrait photograph by Konstantin Shapiro is signed and inscribed by the author in Russian to Jacob Faddeevich Sakhar, in December 1880 in the last few weeks of his life. Only 16 inscribed photographs of Dostoevsky are known to exist and only four of these are held outside institutional collections, this photograph being one of them (estimate: £30,000-50,000).

The Māori Land Transaction is signed by fifteen Māori chiefs with their Moko signatures, “…on board the Rosanna, at Anchor off the Island of Wycheckee…” and dated September 23, 1826. This highly important deed is also one of the earliest surviving documents bearing multiple moko (or mark) of Māori chiefs.  The land was acquired by the first New Zealand Company in exchange for “…one double barrel gun, eight muskets & one barrel of powder..." Estimate: £30,000-50,000.