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THE GROWING WORLD; OR, PROGRESS OF CIVILIZATION, AND THE WONDERS OF NATURE, SCIENCE, LITERATURE AND ARTPublisher: W. M. Patterson & Co. (Philadelphia, Chicago, and Kansas City)
Publication Year: 1881 (True First Edition)
Format: Hardcover / Cloth Bound Subscription Book
Pages: 500+ Illustrated pages (Compendium / Miscellany)Up for purchase is a scarce, authentic 1881 first edition copy of The Growing World. Published during the height of the Victorian era, this massive subscription-only compendium serves as a fascinating historical window into 19th-century views on industrial progress, global geography, biology, and natural sciences. The book features hundreds of detailed woodcut engravings throughout, including the iconic evolutionary frontispiece plate, "From the Lowest to the Highest Type of Animal Life."This volume features a highly ornate Victorian publisher's cloth binding with striking gold gilt vignettes on the front cover and spine, illustrating elements of engineering, art, wildlife, and domestic life.Detailed Condition ReportPlease review all listing photographs carefully to assess the book's condition before offerding. This antique volume shows typical wear consistent with its 145-year age:
- Exterior Cover & Spine: The dark pebbled cloth boards show moderate shelf wear. The corners are bumped and worn through to the inner boards. The head and tail of the spine exhibit fraying and cloth loss.
- Binding & Hinges: The text block is holding, but the inner hinges are cracked and strained. In the front preliminary pages, the binding threads are exposed and loose near the gutter, showing structural separation and an old adhesive stain (see photos). The book should be handled with care.
- Interior Pages: Complete and intact. The pages show uniform age-toning and natural browning along the margins due to the paper stock of the era. The text and woodcuts remain clean, bright, and highly legible without heavy foxing or major liquid stains.
- Provenance: Features a charming vintage blue "Private Library" bookplate from a previous owner (Fred. Hernbloom, No. 187) affixed to the front inner pastedown.
Shipping & Handling
- Shipped securely in a sturdy box wrapped in bubble wrap to protect the fragile corners and spine.
- Domestic shipping via USPS Media Mail.
