Former bathroom book may sell for $99,000

Christie's auction house in London said a first edition copy of Charles Darwin's "The Origin of Species" that once resided in a bathroom could sell for $99,000.

The Oxford Mail said Sunday the book written by the late scientist once sat in a bookshelf stored for years in a guest bathroom at a home in the area of Oxford, England.

The family that owns the first edition copy of "Species" purchased the valuable literary work for a fraction of its actual worth at a British shop nearly 40 years ago.

The book on evolution will go up for auction in London Tuesday, the Oxford Mail said.

via Former bathroom book may sell for $99,000 - UPI.com.

A first edition of Charles Darwin's Origin Of Species, which was kept on a toilet bookshelf, is to be auctioned.

It is hoped the book, which was bought about 40 years ago in a West Country shop for a few shillings, will reach £60,000 in Tuesday's sale.

The book was kept on a bookcase in a guest lavatory at the owner's family home in Oxfordshire.

Just 1,250 copies of the work were produced in 1859. In April one sold at auction in Norfolk for £35,000.

The book goes on sale on the 150th anniversary of its publication.

Textually important

Christie's auction house said the son-in-law of the current owner was at a Darwin exhibition and recognised a picture of the book's spine.

Margaret Ford, head of books and manuscripts at Christie's, said the person who bought the book may not have realised its value.

She said: "It's incredibly important. He knew it [the book] was textually important.

"He maybe did not know how much of a bargain he was getting."

The revolutionary scientific work, which has the full title On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, has the original publisher's green cloth cover and gilt-decorated spine.

It is described by Christie's as "lightly bumped" around the corners. - bbc