Principles of Geology

LYELL, Charles (1797–1875). Principles of Geology . London: John Murray, 1830; 1832; 1833. First edition of “a classic by the ‘father of modern geology." A possible association copy from a member of Lyell’s 1828 Italy expedition. Lyell's work presents "the doctrine of uniformitarianism, namely, that the processes of the past must be judged by those of the present” (Grolier/Horblit). It had enormous impact on Darwin's thinking with its development of the concept of “deep geological time” through observation of current geological processes as a “key to the past” and, by extension, “the past as a key to the present”. In Challinor's view, it “proved a greater influence on the progress of the science [of geology] than any work before or since”. Challinor 125; Grolier/Horblit 70; Norman 1398; PMM cf. 344. One p. 324, a manuscript note reads “At Milan in September 1828, we felt a sharp shock at Milan, which at Genoa was more violent, and did some damage.” An earlier note on p. 217 remarks upon the granite observed at Pavia and near Bagnères-de-Bigorre. Lyell travelled to the southern France and northern Italy between May 1828 and February 1829, joined in the first six months by Roderick Murchison, Murchison’s wife, their Swiss maid and a clerk named Hall. Edward Bailey’s biography of Lyell places the group in Vicenza and the Euanean Hills at some point in September, making it possible for group to have been in Milan around this time. The Oltrepò Pavese earthquake occurred on October 9 1828, with an epicenter about 40km from Milan. Bailey, Charles Lyell (1962), pp. 68; 71. Three volumes, octavo (213 × 137mm). Three engraved frontispieces, hand-colored in vols 2 and 3, three engraved maps, two folding and two hand-colored, five engraved plates, several woodcut maps and figures (plates toned with some soiling and stains, offsetting from plates on surround leaves including title-pages, imposition error in vol. 3 frontispiece, short tear in vol. 1 Q3, light soiling). Contemporary quarter sheep over marbled paper boards, tooled in gold on spine (rubbed, few scratches).

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