An Inquiry In To The Original State And Formation Of The Earth. Deduced From Facts And The Laws Of Nature. Whitehurst, John. F.R.S.

TITLE CONTINUED: To Which is Added an Appendix, Containing Some General Observations on the Strata in Derbyshire. With Sections of Them, Representing Their Arrangement, Affinities, and the Mutations They Have Suffered at Different Periods of Time. Intended to Illustrate the Preceding Inquiries, and as a Specimen of Subterranean Geography. FIRST EDITION 1778. 4to approximately 275 x 210 mm, 11 x 8½ inches, 4 engraved plates showing 8 images, 2 folding, both folding plates have the folding section in facsimile, pages: [20], 1-199, [1]- last page blank, lacks half-title, replaced with a pale brown facsimile, prelims include a list of Subscribers and Errata, bound in half calf, rebacked in lighter calf, marbled boards, gilt lettered label, endpapers replaced. Marbled boards worn and scuffed, corners bumped and worn, shelf wear to edges, title page stained and laid down, 2 leaves of subscribers creased and last page with minor tiny ink splashes, minor pale staining to plates and occasional pale spot to margins, otherwise text clean. A good copy only. Whitehurst was a member of the Birmingham Lunar Society and in the list of subscribers there are some well known members: Erasmus Darwin; Josiah Wedgwood; Mathew Bolton; James Keir; Thomas Day; Joseph Banks; Rev Dr Maskyline; Rev. Dr. Priestley; Robert Darwin etc. John Whitehurst F.R.S. (1713 –1788), born in Cheshire, was a clockmaker and scientist, and made significant early contributions to geology. He was an influential member of the Lunar Society. Wikipedia. See: John Challinor, The History of British Geology, page 15, No. 37; Dictionary of Scientific Biography, Volume 14, page 311. MORE IMAGES ATTACHED TO THIS LISTING, ALL ZOOMABLE, FURTHER IMAGES ON REQUEST. POSTAGE AT COST.