Hereditary genius: an inquiry into its laws and consequences

London: MacMillan and Co, 1869. FIRST EDITION. Half-title, errata, 2 folding charts, numerous tables, original red cloth, gilt-lettered spine and gilt design on front cover, spine faded. First edition of Galton’s study of genius, in which he examines the families of great men and concludes that genius is hereditary. Galton’s work had profound implications for the growing field of genetics. With the publication of his cousin Charles Darwin’s Origin in 1859, Galton became a confirmed evolutionist.

Galton (1822-1911) is best known for his work in anthropology and mental inheritance. He founded the science of eugenics and devised a system of fingerprint identification.

Garrison & Morton, 226; Sturtevant, A History of Genetics, p. 126.