Lot 695: An Antique Late Victorian Leather-Bound Trio of Religious Volumes
An antique late Victorian leather-bound trio of religious volumes, comprising two copies of the Holy Bible and a combined Book of Common Prayer and Hymns Ancient & Modern. Each volume is finished in dark leather over boards with gold-stamped titles and decorative raised bands to the spines. The prayer book spine is lettered in gilt as ‘COMMON PRAYER HYMNS A & M.’ while the two bibles are simply titled ‘Holy Bible’. One volume contains a personal handwritten presentation inscription on the front endpaper in black ink, which reads ‘To Isabel from / her loving Mother / Xmas 1904 / Love one another’. These small pocket-format books feature the rounded page corners and utilitarian binding style characteristic of early 20th-century devotional publishing.
Condition report:
The collection shows significant signs of age and handling. The Book of Common Prayer volume exhibits substantial loss to the leather at both the head and tail of the spine (photo 1). All three volumes show rubbing, scuffing, and abrasion to the leather covers and joints (photo 1). The corners of the boards are bumped and frayed (photo 1). Internally, the paper stock is toned and yellowed throughout, with visible foxing and wear to the brittle page edges (photo 2).
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