Greece: Handbook for Travellers, Karl Baedeker — 1st Edition

£260.00

Greece: Handbook for Travellers, Karl Baedeker — 1st Edition

Name: Greece: Handbook for Travellers, Karl Baedeker — 1st Edition
Brand: Broadhursts Books
SKU: 4476
Price: 260.00 GBP
Availability: InStock

Write Review

In stock

£260.00

Shipping is calculated at checkout.

Publication: Leipsic, Karl Baedeker, Publisher; London, Dulau and Co., 1889

Formatting: 16mo, pp. [cxvi], 374.

Condition Report: Fair. The publisher's original limp cloth binding shows significant signs of historical travel and handling, with the boards heavily faded from their original vibrant colour to an even, muted tan. The front outer joint is prominently split along the cloth, leading to fraying at the extremities and spine ends, while the gilt tooling to the front board remains legible but oxidised. Internally, the binding is compromised by a cracked front inner hinge, leaving the text block somewhat shaken and exposing the underlying mull. However, the marbled text block edges remain relatively bright, and the internal pages display only mild, uniform age-toning with a clean presentation largely free from serious foxing or major handling wear.

Catalogue Note: This is the scarce first English edition of Baedeker’s guide to Greece. Translated and adapted from the earlier German editions, it provided late-Victorian British travellers with unprecedented logistical and historical detail. The volume boasts a comprehensive suite of illustrative materials, containing a celebrated folding panorama of Athens alongside six maps and fourteen detailed plans of regional sites and ancient ruins.

The front free endpaper bears the factual, contemporary ownership signature of "G. M. Gibson" in graphite. Early editions of Baedeker’s Greece in English are exceedingly uncommon on the open market, as they were rigorously used in the field by tourists navigating the burgeoning Mediterranean travel routes of the late 19th century. Consequently, surviving examples, even those displaying the rugged exterior wear typical of authentic historical usage, are highly sought after by collectors of cartography and early travel ephemera.

Immerse yourself in the world of the 19th-century grand tourist with Karl Baedeker’s Greece. Published in 1889, this seminal handbook captures the Hellenic landscape just as modern archaeological efforts and expanding rail networks were beginning to open the ancient world to Victorian adventurers. Featuring a sweeping panorama of Athens and precise maps of classical ruins, it is both an incredibly detailed logistical tool of its era and a fascinating historical document that evokes the romanticism of uncovering Greece's "haunted, holy ground," as famously quoted from Lord Byron within its preliminary leaves.

Book Condition: Fair

Book Authors: Karl Baedeker

Book Publisher: Karl Baedeker; Dulau and Co.

Book Language: English

Narrative Type: Antiquarian

Genre: Travel, Exploration & Adventure

Book edition: First Edition

Signed: No

Book Pages: 490

Book Publication Year: 1889

Book Publication Date:

Book Binding: Limp Cloth

Illustrator: N/A

Book Series: Baedeker's Handbooks for Travellers

Country/region of manufacture: Leipsic, Germany

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.