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**ITEM DESCRIPTION:**
Up for offerding/purchase is an authentic Victorian-era edition of "Meredith's Poems" (New Revised Edition), published in Boston by Houghton, Mifflin and Company and printed by the renowned Riverside Press in 1882.
This deluxe volume features a full-leather binding decorated with an elegant gold-gilt Greek key border, hand-marbled "Peacock pattern" endpapers, and solid gold-gilded page edges. It is richly illustrated throughout with stunning, full-page wood engravings protected by original tissue guards, including scenes from his famous narrative verse novel "Lucile."
**🌟 A TRUE 19th-CENTURY TIME CAPSULE (UNIQUE PROVENANCE):**
What makes this specific copy incredibly special is its historical human connection. On the blank rear flyleaves, a previous Victorian owner meticulously hand-copied the multi-stanza Christian hymn "Nearer, My God, to Thee" in pencil. Crucially, the owner dated their entry at the top corner: "July 6 - '84" (1884). This provides wonderful provenance, proving the book was actively read and cherished just two years after publication.
**🔍 DETAILED CONDITION REPORT (Please Read Before offerding):**
This book is being sold strictly "As-Is" due to exterior leather degradation. Please review all photos carefully.
• EXTERIOR / BINDING: The flat front cover is remarkably clean with sharp gilt stamping. However, the spine, raised bands, and outer hinges suffer from severe, advanced "Red Rot" (acidic leather flaking). The leather crumbles and sheds a fine orange-brown powder when handled. The corners are heavily bumped and scuffed through to the structural binder’s board. The front hinge is fragile due to the flaking but the board remains attached.
• INTERIOR TEXT BLOCK: The text block itself is structurally excellent. The binding is tight, square, and solid. Pages are complete with no loose or missing leaves.
• PAGES & PLATES: The paper shows uniform, natural age-toning/browning but is free from heavy foxing, stains, or water damage. Some natural "ink ghosting" (pigment mirroring) is present on the pages opposite the heavy woodcut plates where oil-based ink migrated over the last 140+ years.
This is a beautiful, highly displayable volume
