Posted on 11/22/2009 5:25:08 PM PST by Free ThinkerNY
A first edition of Charles Darwin's seminal "On the Origin of Species" will be sold this week after it was found in a family's toilet in southern Britain, an auction house said Sunday.
The book, which was first printed in 1859, was bought by a family for just a few shillings in a shop about 40 years ago, Christie's auction house said.
The family has since kept the work on a bookcase in the guest lavatory at their home in the Oxford area, it said.
The book will go under the hammer in London on Tuesday, to coincide with the 150th anniversary of the publication of the father of the theory of evolution's famous work.
The book, about 1,250 copies of which were first printed, is expected to fetch 60,000 pounds (66,000 euros, 99,000 dollars).
Margaret Ford, head of books and manuscripts at Christie's, said the book would have been a bargain when it was bought by the present owner.
"It's incredibly important," Ford said, adding of the current owner: "He knew it (the book) was textually important.
"He maybe did not know how much of a bargain he was getting."
(Excerpt) Read more at breitbart.com ...
“Survival of the **ittest”
The Brits’ idea of “in the toilet” is MUCH different than ours....
Seems appropriate. Were any of the pages torn out?
Very interesting!
George Costanza couldn’t return his book after he took it in the toilet...
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Just adding to the catalog, not sending a general distribution. |
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Ahem! Don’t you guys ever have a err wee room with just a toilet in it, usually located downstairs?
Besides, surely everyone knows that the proper UK term is “the Bog”.
No. It would be nice if we did, though.
I’d forgotten about “The Bog.” Good homely term.
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