WRIGHT, Marie Robinson.

Picturesque Mexico. Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott Company, 1897.

Large quarto. Original pictorial gray cloth, gilt titles and decorations to upper cover and spine; top edge gilt. Profusely illustrated throughout with photographic plates and portraits, many full-page, depicting architecture, street scenes, landscapes, industries, and political figures of late-nineteenth-century Mexico.

A handsome and substantial illustrated survey of Mexico produced during the Porfirian era, intended for an English-speaking readership and notable for its extensive photographic documentation of cities, public buildings, railroads, and regional life. Works of this type were part of a broader movement promoting Mexico’s modernization and international commerce in the late nineteenth century.

Condition:

Binding rubbed and moderately worn, with fraying at spine ends and corners and some handling marks to the cloth. Hinges sound; text block generally clean, with scattered foxing, heavier to preliminary leaves. Plates complete and in good condition. Contemporary ownership inscription dated December 1898 on front endpaper. A good, complete copy of an illustrated work often found worn because of its size and weight.