# Is "Darwinism" by Alfred Russel Wallace a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Darwinism by Alfred Russel Wallace (Macmillan and Co., 1889) is identified by: First edition, full title Darwinism: An Exposition of the Theory of Natural Selection with Some of Its Applications.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First edition, full title Darwinism: An Exposition of the Theory of Natural Selection with Some of Its Applications
- Octavo, xvi, 494 pages plus 2 pages of publisher's advertisements at the rear, illustrated with a tissue-guarded portrait frontispiece of Wallace, a folding color map, and 37 text diagrams
- Grew out of a series of lectures Wallace delivered in the United States in 1886-87 and coins the term 'pure Darwinism.' Bound in publisher's dark green cloth with blind-ruled borders on the boards, spine lettered and ruled in gilt
- Publisher imprint reads Macmillan and Co.
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Alfred Russel Wallace |
| Publisher | Macmillan and Co. |
| Year | 1889 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First edition, full title Darwinism: An Exposition of the Theory of Natural Selection with Some of Its Applications |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
First edition, full title Darwinism: An Exposition of the Theory of Natural Selection with Some of Its Applications. Octavo, xvi, 494 pages plus 2 pages of publisher's advertisements at the rear, illustrated with a tissue-guarded portrait frontispiece of Wallace, a folding color map, and 37 text diagrams. Grew out of a series of lectures Wallace delivered in the United States in 1886-87 and coins the term 'pure Darwinism.' Bound in publisher's dark green cloth with blind-ruled borders on the boards, spine lettered and ruled in gilt.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Darwinism* by Alfred Russel Wallace a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/darwinism
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-04.