Lot 259: Hutton, James

Hutton, James
The theory of the earth, from the Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. [Edinburgh, 1786?]
4to (11 x 8 1/2 in.; 279 x 216 mm). Half-title, 2 engraved plates; light offsetting throughout. Contemporary marbled wrappers; rebacked in paper, boards a bit faded. Quarter red morocco folding case, spine gilt.
FIRST EDITION OF HUTTON'S SCARCE AND COMPLETE PUBLICATION OF HIS REVOLUTIONARY THEORY OF THE EARTH AS A UNITARY SYSTEM: AN OFFPRINT FROM THE 1788 PUBLICATION OF THE TRANSACTIONS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF EDINBURGH. Hutton first made his theory public at two meetings of the Royal Society in early 1785; the Society, however, did not publish it until three years later. But, by 1787, offprints of this paper were in circulation and, according to D.R. Dean, some were published and distributed as early as 1786, of which only one is presently known (James Hutton and the History of Geology, p. 25). This undated copy, therefore, may be from the earliest issue and may have been intended for private use by the author.
"The Theory of the Earth" postulated a cyclical history of the earth, comprised of erosion, deposition of the eroded land as strata at the bottom of the ocean, compression of the strata under the heat which lies beneath the earth's crust, and the fracturing and re-emersion of the fused sediments to form new continents. This theory was revolutionary in that it viewed the geological processes as cyclical and in that it rejected the catastrophic view of the processes of geological evolution, and in its focus on the materials of the earth itself as evidence for a continuous and uniform process of change. Hutton had formulated his theory by using the same methodology currently employed by modern geologists: "He examined many different types of rocks, paying attention to their structural relations one to another; and he considered in detail the mineralogical and chemical composition of individual rocks. He also studied intensively the physical processes now operating on the earth's surface & In constructing his theory, Hutton had used as a working hypothesis the assumption, based on his own observations, that the geological evidence provided by surface rocks provided both a key to the past and an indication of the future course of events. His theory formulated for the first time the general principle that some fifty years later came to be known as uniformitarianism" (DSB, VI:577-87).
The present edition was given by the author to Lord Dauer, a close friend of Hutton's and an avid supporter of his work.
References: Dibner 93; Norman 1:1130 (this copy)
Provenance: Lord Daer (author's inscription on half-title) -- Archibald Geikie (autograph note pasted to verso of upper wrapper) -- Haskell F. Norman (bookplate; Christie's New York, 15 -16 June 1998, lot 540)