An original 1924 U.S. Geological Survey scientific monograph on the chemical composition of Earth's crust, with early Smithsonian National Museum ownership stamps. A historical document of quantitative geochemistry by Frank Wigglesworth Clarke and Henry Stephens Washington, issued as Professional Paper No. 127.
The Composition of the Earth's Crust analyzes geological samples and chemical data to investigate the relative abundance of elements and minerals in the crust. Published at Washington by the Government Printing Office in 1924, the study includes 117 pages of geological discussion and extensive numerical tables. Clarke and Washington's work belongs to a foundational period in modern geochemistry, when systematic rock analyses were being used to characterize the makeup of the planet.
Original 1924 printed text in an institutional half-brown-leather and dark cloth binding. The endpapers are a striking multicolored marbled pattern. The title page carries an oval Smithsonian Institution / National Museum stamp with accession/inventory number 265848, and an August 9, 1924 date stamp. These are physical library marks, not an author's signature. The Smithsonian association is documented by stamps on this copy, not a claim of exceptional or personal provenance.
Acceptable used condition due to substantial binding damage. Leather is rubbed and split/peeling at the upper spine and joint; there are edge and corner losses and substantial wear to the leather and boards. The marbled endpapers remain visually appealing. Period Smithsonian stamps and cataloging numbers occur in the front matter. The text pages sampled in photos are legible with light age toning. This example has not been fully collated, so completeness is unverified. Please review close-up photographs of binding damage before purchase.
Shipping: USPS Media Mail, carefully packed (about 3 lb 5 oz, 13 × 10.5 × 3.5 in).
We do our best to fully represent the condition and completeness of this item; please examine the photos yourself, as they are the most accurate presentation of it. We have not performed a full collation. If you have any questions, would like to see specific pictures, or would like us to review the item for completeness, please send us a message and we will gladly accommodate.