Man’s Place in the Universe by Alfred R. Wallace (1912) - Antiquarian Astronomy Book - Red Cloth Gilt, 8 Diagrams
Description:
A finely preserved 1912 antiquarian hardback edition of Man’s Place in the Universe by Alfred R. Wallace, published by Chapman and Hall Limited, London. Printed by Jas. Truscott & Son Ltd.
This is the new and cheaper edition of Wallace’s groundbreaking astronomical work. It features eight diagrams in the text and presents a scientifically rigorous yet accessible study of astronomy, exploring the unity and plurality of worlds, one of the first attempts by a biologist to consider the probability of life beyond Earth.
This does not include a dust jacket. The binding consists of vibrant red cloth boards, blind-stamped decoration on the front board, and gilt lettering and decorative elements on the spine. Both the spine and boards are in excellent condition with only minimal wear and very faint marks. There is light bumping to the bottom front and bottom back corners.
Inside, the binding is tight, and all 283 pages are present. There are no loose, missing, or written-in pages. Pages show light, even tanning, typical of the age, and the endpapers are darker tanned. Scattered small marks appear mostly on the page edges, with occasional light folds to corners. Small patches of rubbing appear on the front pastedown and the contents page. Small rips are noted:
To the central edge of both the front and rear pastedowns.
To the top of page 263 and its verso, not affecting the text.
Please examine the photographs closely as they form part of the description.
Approx. dimensions: 17.5 cm x 11.1 cm x 2.5 cm
Approx. weight: 230g
Pages: 283 + 8 diagrams
Authorial and Historical Context:
Alfred Russel Wallace (1823–1913) was a Welsh naturalist, biologist, anthropologist, illustrator, and co-originator of the theory of evolution by natural selection. A contemporary of Charles Darwin, Wallace was a pioneering thinker. This work, published just a year before his death, represents his foray into cosmological and biological speculation on extraterrestrial life.