Departmental Ditties and Other Verses, Rudyard Kipling — The Sixpenny Series

£30.00

Departmental Ditties and Other Verses, Rudyard Kipling — The Sixpenny Series

Name: Departmental Ditties and Other Verses, Rudyard Kipling — The Sixpenny Series
Brand: Broadhursts Books
SKU: 5299
Price: 30.00 GBP
Availability: InStock

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Publication London, George Newnes, Limited, 1899.

Formatting 8vo, pp. 126, [ii].

Condition Report Poor. The original printed paper wrappers are heavily afflicted with significant chipping, creasing, and prominent tearing, including substantial paper loss traversing the lower-left corner of the front panel. The fragile spine covering has entirely perished, exposing the rusted wire-stitch binding, which remains tenuously intact. The internal leaves exhibit expected age-toning and mild marginal brittleness throughout, yet the text block remains generally clean, unmarked, and perfectly legible. A standard contemporary ownership inscription ("Mrs E Dixon") is penned to the upper edge of the front wrapper.

Catalogue Note This cheaply produced "Sixpenny Series" edition of Kipling’s seminal debut poetry collection was issued to capitalise on the author's surging international fame. It features a prominent photographic portrait of Kipling by Elliott & Fry on the front cover.

Bound in its original paper wrappers, it serves as a fascinating piece of late-Victorian commercial ephemera, boasting charming full-page period advertisements for Fry's Pure Concentrated Cocoa and Brooke's Monkey Brand Soap. While the text itself is common in various contemporary cloth bindings, surviving copies of this fragile Sixpenny paper edition are genuinely uncommon on the open market in any condition, owing to their inherently ephemeral nature and cheap contemporary production.

A charming, albeit well-worn, late-Victorian survival of Rudyard Kipling’s first collection of poetry. Originally written during his time as a young journalist in British India, these humorous, satirical, and sometimes poignant verses paint a vivid portrait of Anglo-Indian officialdom, bureaucratic absurdity, and the daily lives of the soldiers and civil servants of the British Empire.

Book Condition: Poor

Book Authors: Rudyard Kipling

Book Publisher: George Newnes, Limited

Book Language: English

Narrative Type: Antiquarian

Genre: Poetry

Book edition:

Signed: No

Book Pages: 128

Book Publication Year: 1899

Book Publication Date:

Book Binding: Softcover

Illustrator: N/A

Book Series: The Sixpenny Series

Country/region of manufacture: London, United Kingdom

Book Dimensions:

Book Condition Guide

We stock thousands of books in a wide range of conditions. To make things clear and to help you know exactly what to expect, Please refer to these condition categories to understand the condition of the book you will receive.

Condition	Description
New	A brand-new, unread and professionally handled book. Carefully preserved from publication to purchase, these books are offered in the best attainable condition. This grade applies to recently published titles that have not entered long-term storage.
As New	The book is in pristine, original condition as if just published. No signs of use or handling. The dust jacket (if present) is equally flawless. This grade applies to any book that has remained untouched in storage for years.
Fine	The book is close to As New. It remains bright and attractive, but could show minor imperfections to the boards and/or dust jacket (if present). Its pages are typically clean and unmarked.
Near Fine	The book has a number of small flaws, i.e. slight rubbing to the edges, or tiny chips or creases to the dust jacket (if present). Its pages may have faint marks, or creases that are barely perceptible — nothing that detracts from their overall condition.
Very Good	The book maintains its structural integrity, and has no major flaws such as tears to its binding or pages. It may, however, show signs of careful use, handling, or storage — small marks and creases, light foxing. Its dust jacket (if present) remains fully intact, but small tears may be present.
Good	A book that remains intact and readable with complete text pages, but shows moderate signs of wear and use to both the book and dust jacket (if present). It may have noticeable creases, nicks, or stains, and the spine likely shows fading, bumping, and rubbing. There could be writing, underlining, and other marks on some pages, though the majority will be clean and tidy.
Fair	A book with significant wear or damage. The text pages will be complete, but there may be heavy underlining, highlighting and staining throughout, and the book’s endpapers, half-title, and copyright pages could be damaged or missing. The binding could be loose, and the dust jacket (if present) may have notable scuffs or tears. These copies are usually of interest for content, signature(s) or scarcity.
Poor	A heavily worn book whose value lies in its complete and legible text. A poor book will have substantial defects — loose joints or hinges, detached covers, loose and/or missing pages, and could be heavily soiled. A poor book is also known as a reading copy, and although compromised, can hold historical or bibliographic significance.