You are bidding on a rare antique hardcover book titled:
Essay of the Causes of the Variety of Complexion and Figure in the Human Species. To Which are Added, Animadversions on certain Remarks made on the first edition of this Essay, by Mr. Charles White, in a series of Discourses delivered before the Literary and Philosophical Society of Manchester in England. Also, Strictures on Lord Kaims' Discourse on the Original Diversity of Mankind and an Appendix.
By Samuel Stanhope Smith, President of the College of New Jersey, and Member of the American Philosophical Society. The Second Edition...Enlarged and Improved.
The book was published in New Brunswick by J. Simpson and Co., and Williams and Whiting, New York. A. Deare, Printer, 1810.
Imagine, this book is over 200 years old!!! It is the first significant anthropological treatise written in America, arguing for racial differences as environmentally generated.
An original American contribution to evolutionary biology, notable also for its liberal view of the race question in America and its compassionate account of Africans and African Americans based largely on first hand observation of American slavery.
The author, Smith (1750-1819), clergyman, philosopher, and president of Princeton, rejected the theory of the separate creation of the different races and attributes human variation to a long gradual process of environmental response, thereby anticipating Darwinian evolution and strengthening the case for fundamental racial equality.
This is a very scarce and collectible edition.
This is a very special and rare book. It is fully bound in multi-colored leather. The process used to color the leather is called Spanish Marbling. Spanish Marbling offers a distinctive variation of the traditional marbling process. This treatment, also known as 'Pasta Española,' entails the bold use of colored dyes on animal skins in order to create a marbled effect. The most popular colors for dyes are brown, green, and red. The use of particular color combinations can help to identify the origins of a binding. Certain colors and color combinations represent individual cities. Books that feature Spanish Marbling are very scarce, expensive and highly collectible!
Condition: The book is fully bound in lovely multi-colored leather. The spine has ornate gold designs and gold lettering ob black leather label. The leather binding exhibits some dryness and spider cracking to leather. There is some corner/edge wear/scuffing. Some loss to outer leather at bottom corner of front cover. Covers remain fairly well attached despite the fact that the front cover show a vertical split at gutter. All pages are tightly bound. There are 411 pages. There is some scattered foxing, mostly light, and offset. Has decorative endpages. No writing in book and no signs of previous ownership. Book remains in good condition.
This is a very early book that tries to explain the difference in skin color among the human races. Quite rare and collectible!
A terrific addition to any collection!
Books with this special leather multi-color binding are gobbled up by collectors and are highly prized!
Great gift idea!
(Inventory: Box 18E)