{"product_id":"tales-for-girls-mary-elliott-2nd-series","title":"Tales for Girls, Mary Elliott — 2nd Series","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePublication\u003c\/strong\u003e: London, Darton and Co., c. 1847\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFormatting\u003c\/strong\u003e: 16mo, pp. 72 [pages numbered 69-140].\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCondition Report\u003c\/strong\u003e: Good. The publisher's original blind-stamped cloth binding remains structurally sound, though it exhibits noticeable exterior wear commensurate with its age and its intended juvenile readership. The cloth is heavily faded and marked, with rubbing to the extremities and slight fraying with small losses to the spine ends. The hinges remain holding, ensuring the text block is intact. Internally, the pages present with typical, moderate foxing, spotting, and age-toning throughout, occasionally heavier at the margins. The hand-coloured frontispiece and title vignette remain bright despite the surrounding foxing, and the leaves are free from major tears. The early ink inscription to the front free endpaper is neat and legible, adding character without detracting from the text. Overall, it is a survivor in respectable condition for a fragile mid-nineteenth-century children's book.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCatalogue Note\u003c\/strong\u003e: This copy represents the \"Second Series\" of Mary Elliott's popular \u003ci\u003eTales for Girls\u003c\/i\u003e, issued separately with pages numbered 69 through 140. During this period, it was common practice for publishers like Darton and Co. to break larger collections into smaller, more affordable volumes for the juvenile market.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe volume is charmingly illustrated with a hand-coloured engraved frontispiece and a hand-coloured vignette to the first text page (\"Idle Ann; or, The Dunce Reclaimed\"), both of which retain their vivid hues. Mary Elliott (née Belson) was a highly prolific and influential author of moral tales, active in the early nineteenth century, whose works were frequently reprinted well into the Victorian era.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOf particular note is the contemporary mid-nineteenth-century provenance. A charming ink inscription to the front free endpaper reads: \"To dear little Annie from her affec.te sister Marcia Knowles Oct! 12th 1847.\" This adds a localised historical touch, placing the book squarely in the hands of its target audience shortly after publication. Complete, surviving copies of these fragile standalone series instalments are increasingly scarce on the open market.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDive into the moral and instructive world of the nineteenth century with Mary Elliott’s \u003ci\u003eTales for Girls\u003c\/i\u003e. This engaging mid-Victorian collection of short stories, beginning with the delightful and cautioning tale of \"Idle Ann; or, The Dunce Reclaimed,\" was designed not just to entertain, but to instil virtue, industry, and kindness in its young readers. With its beautifully hand-coloured engravings and charming contemporary inscription, it offers a fascinating, tangible glimpse into the reading habits and educational values of childhood over a century and a half ago.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Broadhursts Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54553065423187,"sku":"5001","price":30.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0960\/1469\/6787\/files\/20260809_182955.jpg?v=1786445396","url":"https:\/\/broadhurstsbooks.com\/products\/tales-for-girls-mary-elliott-2nd-series","provider":"Broadhursts Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}