Item Overview

Up for sale is a charming late-Victorian children’s anthology, "Highdays and Holidays," published by the Argyle Press in New York. This volume features a beautiful pictorial cloth cover with gold gilt accents and black ink illustrations. It is a wonderful collection of short stories, poetry, and moral lessons typical of the late 19th century, designed to help young readers with hyphenated "sound-out" syllables.

·         Year: Inscribed Christmas 1891 (Estimated publication c. 1885-1891)

·         Publisher: Argyle Press, New York

·         Illustrations: Numerous wood engravings, including plates dated 1881 by artist S. Clausen.

·         Special Interest: Includes a lovely handwritten gift inscription on the front flyleaf: "Aunt Valie to Lillian, Christmas 1891."

Detailed Condition Report

Please review all photos carefully, as they are part of the description. This book is over 130 years old and shows honest wear consistent with its age:

·         Covers: Visible shelf wear and rubbing to the edges. Bumping and fraying at the corners. The gold gilt on the front remains present but has some fading.

·         Spine: Heavy wear/fraying at the head and foot. The cloth is intact but fragile.

·         Binding/Hinges: The front inner hinge is cracked, exposing the mesh/webbing. The text block remains attached but should be handled with care and there are a couple of detached pages in the front.

·         Interior: Pages are tanned (toned) due to age but remain supple and are not brittle. Occasional light foxing or small edge tears may be present, but the text and illustrations are clear and legible.

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