Sterling Silver, Antique Flintlock Shotgun, Collectibles Estate Sale Auction
Lot 62:
Description
This lot consists of two antique leather-bound volumes and accompanying ephemera. The first volume is an illustrated edition of The Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan, containing the authenticated third part entitled The Travels of the Ungodly. This edition was collated with early editions and includes illustrative notes by the Rev. Robert Philip. The title page bears the imprints of George Virtue in London and R. Martin and Co. in New York. The volume is bound in ornate dark brown leather with a decorative gilt-tooled front cover featuring a central cartouche of a pilgrim with a staff and pack, surrounded by six smaller vignettes depicting religious scenes. The spine features raised bands and gilt-tooled floral motifs.
The second volume is Robert Bisset’s The History of the Reign of George III to the Termination of the Late War, designated as Volume I of a two-volume set. This new edition was published in Albany, New York, by B. D. Packard at No. 71 State-Street in 1816. The book is bound in tan leather with a simple gilt-tooled border on the covers and decorative gilt bands on the spine. It includes an engraved frontispiece portrait of Earl Chatham.
Accompanying the books is loose handwritten ephemera, including a multi-page narrative on lined paper regarding a dog named Little Black Bee and a smaller note dated June 22 1876.
Condition report:
Both volumes show significant signs of age and wear. The Bunyan volume exhibits major leather loss at the head of the spine and deep cracking along the joints (photo 1). The covers show rubbing and corner wear through to the boards (photo 2). The interior pages have heavy foxing, dampstaining, and age-toning throughout, with several metal paper clips causing rust-toned impressions on the paper (photo 3). The Bisset volume shows similar spine deterioration with cracking and loss at the head, as well as splitting at the front joint (photo 1). The interior pages and frontispiece are heavily foxed and stained (photo 3). The handwritten notes show yellowing and frayed edges consistent with their age.
Share this lot:
