DARWIN- O POWSTAWANIU GATUNKOW / ON THE ORIGIN OF SPECIES ed. 1884

DARWIN Charles/ Karol (1809–1882).

O POWSTAWANIU GATUNKÓW
drogą doboru naturalnego czyli o utrzymywaniu się doskonalszych ras w walce o byt

On the Origin of Species by means of natural selection, or the preservation of favoured races in the struggle for life.

Translated by Szymon Dickstein and Józef Nussbaum. (Dzieła Karola Darwina, vol. I).
Warsaw 1884–1885, Wydawnictwo Przeglądu Tygodniowego, pp. 437, XVI, 1 fold-out plate; size 17 × 24.5 cm.

Early Polish edition of the landmark work by Charles Robert Darwin (born 12 February 1809 in Shrewsbury, died 19 April 1882 in Downe) — the British naturalist and geologist, founder of the theory of evolution stating that all species descend from earlier forms, and author of publications presenting the scientific arguments supporting this thesis.

Uncommon!

Contemporary half-leather binding, raised bands, gilt and blind tooling on the spine; marbled edges.
Condition: good / rubbing to covers, worn corners.

Provenance: bookplate and ownership inscription of Ryszard Błędowski on inner cover.

Owner’s biography :

Ryszard Błędowski (1886–1932) was a Polish zoologist, professor, social activist and politician — one of the notable figures of Polish scientific life in the early 20th century. Born in Włocławek and educated in Berlin, where he obtained a doctorate in zoology, he was associated from 1909 with the Towarzystwo Kursów Naukowych (Society of Scientific Courses) in Warsaw as assistant, lecturer and secretary of the Faculty of Natural Sciences. He took part in the re-Polonisation of the University of Warsaw (1915) and in 1918 initiated the creation of the Free Polish University, becoming its professor and head of the Department of Zoology. He also lectured at WSGW and was a member of the Warsaw Scientific Society and the Physiographic Commission of the Polish Academy of Arts and Sciences.

He conducted research on marine invertebrates, later turning to applied entomology and the study of autotomy. Author of several scientific papers; from 1927 he served as editor of the journal Wszechświat. His activities extended beyond academia — he was a member of parliament, senator and, in 1929, vice-president of Warsaw.

He came from an educated landed-intelligentsia family and was active in the Evangelical-Reformed Church, serving as president of its Synod in 1929. He died in Berlin and is buried at the Evangelical-Reformed Cemetery in Warsaw.

The presented copy of Darwin’s work comes from his private library — a provenance of particular value given Błędowski’s scientific profile and his influence on the development of zoological and natural-science education in Poland.

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