1840 FIRST EDITION ELEMENTARY GEOLOGY BY EDWARD HITCHCOCK ~ EVOLUTION (PREDATES CHARLES DARWIN'S 1859 ON THE ORIGIN OF SPECIES) ~ PALEONTOLOGY ~ DINOSAUR FOSSILS ~ HAND COLORED EVOLUTIONARY CHART

1840 FIRST EDITION

ELEMENTARY GEOLOGY

BY EDWARD HITCHCOCK

THE FIRST AMERICAN-WRITTEN BOOK ON GEOLOGY ~ HAND-COLORED FOLD-OUT PLATES ~ ENGRAVINGS ~ DINOSAUR FOSSILS ~ EVOLUTION ~ PALEONTOLOGY ~ MINERALOGY ~ CLASSIC SCIENCE ~ VERY RARE ANTIQUE FIRST EDITION

    The frontispiece, a fascinating large fold-out hand-colored engraved "Paleontological Chart," is a branching diagram of the plant and animal kingdoms against a geological background, referred to as a "tree" in the text. This "tree of life" is the earliest known to incorporate paleontology and geology and predates Charles Darwin's 1859 On The Origin Of Species by 19 years.

   This textbook was also the first geology textbook ever printed in the United States that was not a version of a British text.

   Amherst: Published by J. S. & C. Adams, 1840.

   • First Edition - title page date and copyright date match - no additional printings listed
   • measures about 7.75" x 5"
   • brown straight grained cloth early Victorian binding
   • embossed gilt lettering, decorative blind-stamping
   • fold-out hand-colored frontispiece and two more fold-out plates, one of which is also hand-colored
   • illustrated throughout with engravings in the text and a few full-page plates
   • 329 pages

    Edward Hitchcock was influential as a state geologist in Massachusetts (1830-1833, 1837-1841) and Vermont (1856-1861), as a teacher and popularizer of geology, and as an authority on issues of science and religion. He was the third President of Amherst College (1845-1854) and was instrumental in adding geology into the American college curriculum.