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Half-Hours With The Best Authors, by Charles Knight (ed.), (Decorative Binding, Illustrated), Undated 📜✍️🇬🇧

Name: Half-Hours With The Best Authors, by Charles Knight (ed.), (Decorative Binding, Illustrated), Undated 📜✍️🇬🇧
Brand: Wall Antiques
Price: 75.00 USD
Availability: InStock

$75.00

Oferta Agotado

1. Introduction 📜🔍🏛️

This is an antique edition of "Half-Hours With The Best Authors," a collection of literary masterpieces edited by the British publisher and editor Charles Knight. This "New Edition" features Fifty-Two Illustrations by William Harvey and a decorative binding that is an example of Victorian book art.

The book is a sound acquisition for a collector of British literature and decorative bindings.

2. About the Book 📖✍️✨

"Half-Hours with the Best Authors" is an anthology designed to provide readers with accessible excerpts from a wide range of significant literary works. Charles Knight curated a diverse selection of prose and poetry, accompanied by biographical and critical notes.

The book aims to offer a concise yet comprehensive overview of literary excellence. The illustrations by William Harvey enrich the text and provide a visual component to the work.

3. About the Author ✍️🏛️

Charles Knight (1794-1873) was a pivotal figure in 19th-century British publishing. He was dedicated to making literature and knowledge widely accessible through affordable publications.

His editorial work, exemplified by "Half-Hours with the Best Authors," fostered a culture of reading and intellectual engagement. This work solidified his place in the popularization of literature and the advancement of public education.

4. Historical/Political Era Context 🌍🕰️📜

The publication of this book in the late 19th century places it in a period when large-scale anthologies of literature were popular. The book’s decorative binding, with its intricate gilt and black stamping, is an example of Victorian publishing aesthetics.

The inclusion of illustrations by William Harvey, a well-known illustrator of the era, further enhances its value as a piece of 19th-century publishing history.

5. The Ideal Collector 💡🧐🏛️

This book is for a collector of Victorian anthologies, a scholar of literary history, or a private library of decorative bindings. It is an item for an individual who values a book for its aesthetic appeal and its historical context.

The book appeals to a collector who is interested in the intersection of literary excellence and decorative book art.

6. Value & Rarity 💎✨🏛️

This antique edition from the late 19th century is approximately 135 years old. Its value is in its aesthetic appeal and its literary content, as a comprehensive anthology compiled by Charles Knight.

The Fifty-Two Illustrations by William Harvey add artistic value. The book's blend of accessible content and period design makes it a sound acquisition for collectors of decorative bindings.

7. Condition 🔎📚✨

Used hardcover edition with a decorative olive green cloth binding.
The gilt and black stamping on the spine are largely discernible.
The pages are age-toned but remain clear and legible.
The binding shows visible wear consistent with its age, including rubbing, scuffing, and some loss of the original finish, particularly on the spine and edges.
There is heavy corner damage on the back cover, with the edges frayed and the green cloth detached in that area.
There are no personal inscriptions or markings.

8. Fun Facts & Unique Features 🤓📜🤩

Charles Knight was a pioneer in creating affordable reference works, including the Penny Magazine, which aimed to educate the masses.
The publisher, Frederick Warne and Co., was known for publishing a wide range of works, including the Beatrix Potter books.
The book’s comprehensive nature and illustrative content were typical of the Victorian era's desire to categorize and present knowledge to a broad audience.

9. Supporting Information 🏷️📦💰