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JOHN STEVENSON. The Lord Our Shepherd: An Exposition of the Twenty-Third Psalm.
London: Seeley, Jackson, and Halliday, 1859.
Sixth edition, “Twenty-Fifth Thousand.”
Contemporary Victorian presentation copy in an elaborate full plum-burgundy morocco binding, with gilt and blind decoration, raised bands, richly decorated spine, and gilt edges. The front blank bears a dated presentation inscription from 1860.
A handsome Victorian devotional gift book devoted entirely to Psalm 23:
“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.”
Stevenson treats the psalm verse by verse, exploring the imagery of the shepherd and flock, green pastures, still waters, righteous paths, the valley of the shadow of death, the prepared table, the overflowing cup, and the house of the Lord.
The work is arranged in three principal sections:
THE FOLD
The Lord as shepherd, the security of the flock, spiritual nourishment, guidance, restoration, and protection through suffering and death.
THE BANQUET
The prepared table, divine hospitality, comfort, anointed head, and the overflowing cup.
THE CONCLUSION
The promise that goodness and mercy will follow the believer and the hope of dwelling in the house of the Lord.
“TWENTY-FIFTH THOUSAND”
The title page identifies this as the sixth edition and “Twenty-Fifth Thousand,” indicating the work’s substantial circulation among Victorian Christian readers.
Charles Haddon Spurgeon later referred to Stevenson’s exposition in his survey of biblical commentaries, describing it as:
“Too wire-drawn, but it is golden wire.”
The remark captures the book’s detailed, sustained and deeply devotional character.
THE VICTORIAN MOROCCO BINDING
The volume is bound in full plum-burgundy morocco leather in an elaborate contemporary presentation style.
The boards feature:
• Large gilt arabesque or Gothic Revival centerpiece
• Multiple gilt fillet borders
• Broad blind-tooled ornamental panels
• Gilt corner ornaments
• Repeated floral and geometric tools
• Matching decoration on both boards
The spine is divided by raised bands into richly gilt compartments, with the title lettered directly in gilt. The binding also has narrow gilt-tooled turn-ins, pale endpapers and all edges gilt.
The central gilt ornament has the symmetrical and intricate character of Victorian Gothic Revival and arabesque gift-book design. The binding is unsigned, and no binder attribution is proposed.
PRESENTATION INSCRIPTION
The front blank bears the contemporary inscription:
“Caroline A. Bagshawe
from her affecte. Aunt C. Foster
1860”
The abbreviated “affecte.” appears to mean “affectionate.” Entered only one year after publication, the inscription supports the identification of this as a contemporary presentation or family gift copy.
MANCHESTER BOOKSELLER’S STAMP
A blind-stamped bookseller’s mark on a pale endpaper reads:
Manchester
This records the book’s passage through the nineteenth-century Manchester book trade. It should not be interpreted as a binder’s signature.
CONDITION
Good to Very Good antiquarian condition overall.
The full morocco binding remains sound, securely attached and highly decorative. The leather retains a rich plum-burgundy color, with areas of darkening and surface wear from age and use.
There is rubbing, scuffing and localized abrasion at the joints, spine ends, raised bands, corners and board edges. The corners are softened, and there is some loss of surface leather at the extremities. Portions of the gilt borders and tooling show rubbing and fading, although the central gilt ornaments remain strong and visually impressive.
The all-edges-gilt finish remains attractive, with expected scratches and unevenness from handling.
The pale endpapers show toning, spotting and minor marks. The dated presentation inscription and Haycraft blind stamp remain clearly visible.
Internally, the leaves are generally clean and legible, with scattered foxing, spotting, age-toning and occasional handling marks. More noticeable foxing appears on the presentation leaf and preliminary pages.
The boards and text block appear securely bound. No major textual loss or modern annotation has been observed in the photographed pages.
Please examine all photographs carefully, as they form an essential part of the condition description.
BIBLIOGRAPHICAL DETAILS
Author: John Stevenson
Title: The Lord Our Shepherd: An Exposition of the Twenty-Third Psalm
Place: London
Publisher: Seeley, Jackson, and Halliday
Date: 1859
Edition: Sixth edition
Printing statement: “Twenty-Fifth Thousand”
Pagination: viii, 272 pages
Format: Octavo
Binding: Contemporary full plum-burgundy morocco
Decoration: Elaborate gilt and blind tooling to both boards and spine
Edges: All edges gilt
Provenance: 1860 presentation inscription; Haycraft, Manchester bookseller’s stamp
Language: English
An appealing Victorian devotional volume combining a popular exposition of Psalm 23 with a richly decorated contemporary morocco presentation binding and a dated family inscription.
