TITLE: The Bird
AUTHOR: Jules Michelet
ILLUSTRATOR: Hector Giacomelli
PUBLISHER: T. Nelson and Sons, 137 Grand Street, New York
DATE: 1869 (True First American Edition / First English Translation printing)
BINDING AND EXTERIOR:
This volume features a striking contemporary half-leather binding over hand-marbled paper boards. The spine is designed with five raised bands forming six distinct compartments, which are elaborately stamped with gold-gilt floral motifs and crisp gilt lettering. The page edges are marbled to match the covers. Structurally, the binding is solid, tight, and completely square. The leather remains remarkably supple with vibrant gold gilt work, showing only minimal, expected shelf wear to the corners and edges. It is a highly displayable, premium library piece.
INTERNAL CONDITION:
- Structurally complete with all original blank flyleaves intact.
- Features a light, faint contemporary pencil gift inscription on the second flyleaf page.
- The main Title Page is exceptionally clean, bright, and free of heavy foxing.
- The text block and hundreds of delicate wood-engravings remain crisp and highly legible.
CONDITION FLAWS TO NOTE (PLEASE SEE PHOTOS):
- The pages show natural, light age-toning and scattered, faint chemical oxidation smudges inherent to 19th-century paper throughout (these are natural age spots, not from fluid spills).
- The full-page plate titled "Death" has a clean, closed edge tear extending slightly into the lower right portion of the printed illustration block. No paper is missing, and the tear is clean.
- There is a localized handling smudge on the lower right corner of the Table of Contents page.