Pictorial and Illustrated Guide to North Wales and its Watering Places — 1st Ed

£62.50

Pictorial and Illustrated Guide to North Wales and its Watering Places — 1st Ed

Name: Pictorial and Illustrated Guide to North Wales and its Watering Places — 1st Ed
Brand: Broadhursts Books
SKU: 5955
Price: 62.50 GBP
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Pictorial and Illustrated Guide to North Wales and its Watering Places, Ward, Lock & Bowden — 1st Edition

Publication: London, Ward, Lock & Bowden, Limited, 1896

Formatting: 8vo, limp cloth, pp. [xvi], 344.

Condition Report: Very Good. The original limp red cloth boards remain surprisingly bright and well-preserved for a utilitarian nineteenth-century guide, with only mild rubbing to the extremities and slight softening to the corners. The black typographic tooling to the front board and spine is exceptionally crisp and entirely unoxidised. The binding remains remarkably tight and square, showing no signs of the gutter splitting or spine lean that typically plague these pocket guides. While the text block edges exhibit moderate, uniform age-toning typical of the paper stock used, the internal pages and fold-out frontispiece are clean and neatly folded without significant miscreasing. A very handsome, solid copy that has evidently escaped heavy field use.

Catalogue Note: This first edition of the Shilling Pictorial Guide to North Wales captures the region during the zenith of late-Victorian railway tourism. While the publishing house transitioned its name during this period, reflected here by the "Ward Lock & Co" stamp on the binding yet retaining the earlier "Ward, Lock & Bowden" imprint on the title page, this issue is a notable survival. The volume is profusely illustrated with engravings, including a striking fold-out frontispiece of Snowdon viewed from Capel Curig, and features a wealth of period advertisements highlighted by a prominent Fry's Cocoa promotion on the rear board.

Complete, well-preserved examples of nineteenth-century shilling guides are increasingly scarce on the open market. Designed to be shoved into rucksacks and consulted on steam trains, they were inherently ephemeral. Finding a copy in such a tight, robust state is unusual, making it a highly desirable piece for collectors of travel history, Welsh topography, and Victorian ephemera.

Step back into the Golden Age of British railway tourism with this charming guide to North Wales. Designed for the adventurous Victorian holidaymaker, this comprehensive handbook details the scenic wonders, watering places, and mountain ascents of the region—from the bustling promenade of Llandudno to the rugged majesty of Snowdon. Lavishly illustrated with engravings and fold-out maps, it offers a fascinating window into nineteenth-century travel, complete with a delightful array of period advertisements for local hotels, gentlemen's outfitting, and railway excursions. Whether you are a collector of regional history or an armchair traveller, this guide is a wonderful companion to the landscape of historical Wales.

Book Condition: Very Good

Book Authors: N/A

Book Publisher: Ward, Lock & Bowden, Limited

Book Language: English

Narrative Type: Non-Fiction

Genre: Travel, Exploration & Adventure

Book edition: First Edition

Signed: No

Book Pages:

Book Publication Year: 1896

Book Publication Date:

Book Binding: Limp Cloth

Illustrator: N/A

Book Series: Shilling Pictorial Guides

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.