Sterling Silver, Antique Flintlock Shotgun, Collectibles Estate Sale Auction
Lot 53:
Description
This lot consists of two volumes from the travelogue series John L. Stoddard’s Lectures, published by Balch Brothers Co. in Boston, 1905. The volumes included are Volume VIII, covering Florence, Naples, and Rome, and Volume X, covering California, the Grand Canyon, and Yellowstone Park. The books are octavo-sized and bound in three-quarter brown leather with marbled paper-covered boards and matching leather corners. The spines feature five false bands and are decorated with gilt-stamped floral sprays at the head and foot, along with gilt titles and volume contents. The top edges of the text blocks are finished in gilt. The title page for Volume X is printed in red and black ink and reads: JOHN L. STODDARD’S / LECTURES / [oval illustration of a robed figure] / COMPLETE IN TEN VOLUMES / VOLUME TEN / BOSTON / BALCH BROTHERS CO. / MCMV. Volume X contains a color-lithographed frontispiece titled ELECTRIC PEAK. The series is extensively illustrated with photographic reproductions throughout the text.
Condition report:
The volumes are in fair to good condition. The three-quarter leather bindings show visible shelf wear, including rubbing and scuffing to the leather at the spine ends and corners (photo 1). The marbled paper boards exhibit surface rubbing and wear along the edges (photo 2). Internally, the pages show uniform tanning and light foxing consistent with age (photo 3). A purple metal paperclip is attached to the upper margin of the frontispiece and title page of Volume X (photo 3).
Share this lot:
