The Children's Friend, Volume XXV, Various Authors — 1st Edition

£45.00

The Children's Friend, Volume XXV, Various Authors — 1st Edition

Name: The Children's Friend, Volume XXV, Various Authors — 1st Edition
Brand: Broadhursts Books
SKU: 5987
Price: 45.00 GBP
Availability: InStock

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Publication: London, Seeley, Jackson, & Halliday and S. W. Partridge & Co., 1885

Formatting: Small 4to, pp. 188.

Condition Report: Very Good. The publisher's original green cloth binding remains remarkably tight and square, featuring brightly preserved gilt titling and intricate black floral tooling that shows minimal signs of rubbing. The central chromolithograph pastedown on the front board is wonderfully vibrant, free from the heavy scuffing or loss typical of children's books of this era. The bevelled edges of the boards are firm, with only very slight bumping to the spine ends and corners. The all-edges-gilt text block is strikingly bright and unoxidised, maintaining a lustrous finish. Internally, the book is generally clean, though there is scattered foxing primarily confined to the preliminary pages, including the title page and front endpapers, and a faint offsetting ring surrounding the tipped-in 1885 Sunday School presentation bookplate. The hinges are sound, and the leaves remain crisp and well-secured throughout, presenting a very attractive, well-preserved Victorian volume.

Catalogue Note: This is the first and only edition of the 1885 annual bound volume of The Children's Friend, a popular and highly moralistic Victorian children's periodical. The present copy represents the publisher's premium gift binding variant, issued in handsome bevelled boards with all edges gilt, originally retailed at 2s. 6d. (a full shilling more than the standard coloured wrapper edition).

The volume is profusely illustrated throughout with high-quality wood engravings and features a striking chromolithograph panel on the front board. Of particular note is the provenance: a neatly inscribed Sunday School presentation bookplate on the front endpaper, awarding the book to Fred Bettridge by the Committee of the Lower Broughton Wesleyan Day Schools for "Regular Attendance" at Christmas, 1885.

Complete bound volumes from this specific year in such bright, un-rubbed condition have become increasingly uncommon on the open market, as they were often heavily read and discarded by their youthful owners.

A captivating window into Victorian childhood, this 1885 annual volume of The Children's Friend gathers twelve months of the beloved 19th-century periodical into one beautifully bound gift book. Brimming with charming wood engravings, moral tales, poetry, and educational articles, the publication was designed to both entertain and instil virtue in its young readership. From its striking green and gold decorative binding to its rich historical provenance as a 19th-century Wesleyan school prize, this volume is a wonderful, tangible piece of children's literary history that remains as visually delightful today as it was over a century ago.

Book Condition: Very Good

Book Authors: Various Authors

Book Publisher: Seeley, Jackson, & Halliday and S. W. Partridge & Co.

Book Language: English

Narrative Type: Antiquarian

Genre: Children's Poetry & Anthologies

Book edition: First Edition

Signed: No

Book Pages:

Book Publication Year: 1885

Book Publication Date:

Book Binding: Hardcover

Illustrator: Various

Book Series: The Children's Friend

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.