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DARWIN, CHARLES. 1809-1882. Letter Signed ("Charles Darwin"), with autograph postscript and emendations, to Mrs [Katherine Murray] Lyell, discussing image 1
DARWIN, CHARLES. 1809-1882. Letter Signed ("Charles Darwin"), with autograph postscript and emendations, to Mrs [Katherine Murray] Lyell, discussing image 2
Lot 18

DARWIN, CHARLES. 1809-1882.
Letter Signed ("Charles Darwin"), with autograph postscript and emendations, to Mrs [Katherine Murray] Lyell, discussing

4 December 2019, 13:00 EST
New York

US$8,000 - US$12,000

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DARWIN, CHARLES. 1809-1882.

Letter Signed ("Charles Darwin"), with autograph postscript and emendations, to Mrs [Katherine Murray] Lyell, discussing 3 pp, on Down letterhead, December 26, [1875], folds, light soiling to margins.

"Although I valued most highly all the letters I received from Lyell, I suspect that they are much too special to be of any interest to the public."

A WONDERFUL LETTER DISCUSSING HIS CORRESPONDENCE WITH HIS FRIEND AND MENTOR CHARLES LYELL. Written to Katherine Murray Lyell, he begins, "I used to formerly burn all letters excepting a few... From the year 1862, I preserved all letters, and wish I had done so earlier." To assist with her projected biography of Lyell published in 1881 as Life, Letters, and Journals of Sir Charles Lyell, Darwin writes to her explaining their correspondence, and in an autograph post-script notes, "The letters are so heavy that I have been forced to put them in 2 parcels." Darwin, the great scientist, proves himself to be not much of a prognosticator when it comes to himself, surmising the letters "are much too special to be of much interest to the public."

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