Constitution and By-Laws of the National Institution for the Promotion of Science, established at Washington, May, 1840.
Washington: Printed by Gales and Seaton, 1840. Item #582 8vo. 215 x 140 mm., [8 ½ x 5 ½ inches]. 14 pp. Original green printed wrappers; removed from a tract volume, spine paper missing, otherwise very good copy. First edition of the constitution of the National Institution, which was organized to ensure that the legacy of John Smithson was secured for the nation and that it be dedicated to the promotion of science in America. It became the repository of the artifacts collected during the U. S. Expedition to the West, collections that were transferred to the Smithsonian after the NIPS was absorbed by Smithsonian Institution in the 1850’s. As one might suspect many of America’s most prominent scientists, politicians, and businessmen were part of the governing body and members in the institution when it was organized in 1840.
Price: $125.00