J.J. VIREY: THE NATURAL HISTORY OF THE HUMAN RACE. VOLUMES I-IV. COMPLETE [1843].

Description

Virey Julien-Joseph – Historya naturala rodu ludzka, vol. I-IV
First Polish edition, Warsaw 1843 | Bibliophile binding AP | Very good condition
Complete four-volume set of the first Polish edition of the monumental work of French naturalist and anthropologist Julien-Joseph Virey (1775-1846). The translation was published in 1843 by S. Orgelbrand, one of Warsaw’s most famous publishing houses. The French original (Histoire naturelle du genre humain) was first published in 1800, and was later reissued in expanded versions in 1824 and 1834.
The translation was made by Pawel Eustachy Lesniewski (1794-1855) – a writer, teacher and prolific translator of scientific literature of the period of the Kingdom of Poland, known, among others.Among other things, he was known for his translations of natural history works and novels by Eugene Sue.
Virey’s work was an attempt at a comprehensive description of man – his physiology, development, races, customs and place in nature – and is one of the most important achievements of European anthropological thought in the first half of the 19th century. Its Polish translation was part of the current of popularization of natural sciences in the Polish lands during the period of the Kingdom of Poland. The set includes four volumes:

Volume I (444 p., tables) – physiology and constitution of man, comparison with other animals, differences between the sexes, age-related changes.
Volume II (379 p., table) – distribution of the human race, human races, influence of climate on food and diseases.
Volume III (446 p, tables) – spiritual and moral man, mental powers, social relations of nations, man in primitive times.
Volume IV (464 p.) – entirely devoted to woman: physiology, maiden state, marriage, motherhood.
Blocks of all four volumes preserved in very good condition. The copy was hand-bound in an exclusive natural leather binding by the Polish Antiquarian Bookbindery. Complete four-volume sets of the first Polish edition of this work are rare on the antiquarian market.
An item for collectors of historical scientific literature, lovers of the history of anthropology and natural sciences, and bibliophiles seeking complete sets of S. Orgelbrand’s publications.

10815×1-18-S-Z