Scientific manuscript of a course of studies at Collège de la Trinité, Lyon. Lyon, 1660s

This fascinating 17th-century scientific manuscript documents the state of scientific knowledge and education in France in the years following Galileo’s trial and the Church’s prohibition of Copernican theory.

$25,000

Autograph Letter Signed to Lawson Tait. Down, 17 January [1877]

CHARLES DARWIN ON SEXUALITY AND THE TRANSMISSION OF HEREDITARY CHARACTERISTICS.

$22,500

Two albums of watercolors of British wildflowers and garden flowers. Chetwode, 1838 - 1840 and 1841 - 1873

These delightful albums contain 142 finely executed full-page watercolors of British flowers.

$12,000

“Leaving For The Moon” in LIFE Magazine. LIFE, July 25, 1969

This issue of Life magazine is signed by Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon. The cover photograph captures the dramatic scene of a self-assured Armstrong—dressed in his full space suit—waving to a crowd of on-lookers just prior to commencing the historic Apollo 11 mission. This issue of Life includes “Apollo’s Leap for the Moon” by reporter Loudon Wainwright, “Moon Shot—Spectacle at the Cape” and “Nixon’s First Six Months” as well as and photographs of the astronauts’ wives. The issue suggests the eagerness of the public for any news dealing with Apollo 11 and the moon landing. This is the issue of Life that was on the newsstands as the Apollo 11 astronauts hurtled through space toward the moon.

$10,000

A Trip to the Moon. New York: F. M. Lupton, September 9, 1893

Signed by Neil Armstrong, first man to walk on the moon. This classic of science fiction, turned into scientific fact by Armstrong and the Apollo 11 mission, was first published as De la Terre à la Lune in 1865.

$10,000

Reports to the Evolution Committee of the Royal Society. Reports I–V.. London: Royal Society, 1902-1909 [1910]

FIRST EDITIONS. A splendid association copy, from the library of Caroline Pellew with her signed inscription:  “C. Pellew  Ink corrections taken from W. Bateson’s corrections in his own copy.”

$10,000

The Descent of Man, and Selection in Relation to Sex. London: John Murray, 1871

FIRST EDITION, FIRST ISSUE, with the uncorrected text in Vol. I and with the list of errata on the verso of the title-page in Vol. II. Freeman observes that “there are important textual differences” between the two issues of the first edition. One of these, later rectified with the removal of long passages from the second issue, is pointed out in the first issue’s inserted slip referring to “a serious an unfortunate error, in relation to the sexual differences of animals.”

$9,500

Darwiniana. London: Macmillan, 1893

FIRST EDITION. A spectacular Darwin association copy, presented by Thomas Henry Huxley to Joseph Dalton Hooker, with an engraved “From the author” slip on the front pastedown above which is written “Sir J. D. Hooker.”

$7,500

The Curious Distillatory. London: Printed by J. D. for Robert Boulter, 1677

First edition in English. Elsholtz (1623-1688), who studied at Padua, was physician to Elector Friedrich Wilhelm and director of the botanical garden at Brandenburg.

$6,800

The Variation of Animals and Plants Under Domestication. London: John Murray, 1868

FIRST EDITION, FIRST ISSUE, one of 1500 copies. “Survival of the fittest” appears here for the first time in any of Darwin’s works.

$5,500