Henry Wadsworth Longfellow - Hyperion: A Romance - 1857

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow – The Prose Works – richly illustrated Victorian edition – 1857
Beautiful and richly illustrated copy of The Prose Works of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, published in London by David Bogue, Fleet Street, in 1857.
The year is given in Roman numerals on the richly illustrated title page: MDCCCLVII (1857).
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807–1882) was one of the best-known American poets and writers of the 19th century. His work enjoyed great popularity in Victorian England as well.
Contents
This substantial collective edition brings together three of Longfellow’s major prose works in one volume:
Hyperion
Outre-Mer
Kavanagh
From the available table of contents, it is evident that Hyperion consists of four books. Outre-Mer contains Longfellow’s literary travel sketches about Europe, including portions on France, Spain and Italy.
Kavanagh, Longfellow’s 1849 novel, forms the last part of the volume.
The book ends on page 580, with clearly printed “THE END.”
Illustrations
One of the most attractive features of this edition is the exceptionally rich illustration.
Throughout the book there are numerous detailed black-and-white wood engravings and vignettes, including both full-page illustrations and illustrations embedded in the text.
Among others depicted are:
a very richly ornamented illustrated title page;
a full-page decorative opening to Outre-Mer;
a richly illustrated opening to Kavanagh;
Mount Vernon;
European landscapes, towns and architecture;
rural scenes;
figure and narrative scenes;
numerous smaller illustrations and decorative vignettes.
The illustrations are finely and meticulously executed and form a beautiful example of mid-19th-century English lavishly illustrated book production.
Publication details
The book is bound in a distinctive Victorian publisher’s cloth binding, originally in pink/purple and cream tones.
The front cover is richly decorated with gilded floral and ornamental designs, with a large central gilded motif. The spine is likewise elaborately gilded.
A particularly handsome detail are the fully gilt edges (all edges gilt), still clearly present around the outside.
The combination of the decorative cloth binding, extensive gold decoration, gilt edges and numerous illustrations gives the book the character of a luxurious Victorian gift or salon edition.
Bibliographic details
Author: Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Title: The Prose Works of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Publisher: David Bogue, Fleet Street, London
Year: 1857 (MDCCCLVII)
Printer: Hugh Barclay, High Street, Winchester
Language: English
Extent: 580 numbered pages, plus title, contents and illustration leaves
Binding: decorative cloth binding with gold lettering
Page edges: all edges gilt
Illustrations: numerous black-and-white wood engravings and vignettes
Condition
Well preserved as a richly produced nearly 170-year-old book, but with clear signs of aging and use.
The binding shows discoloration and fading of the original pink/lilac color, as well as wear to edges, corners and spine. The gilded decorations are nonetheless still clearly visible and give the binding much character.
The interior is largely clean and legible. There is scattered foxing, discoloration and age staining present, somewhat more intense in places. The illustrations remain mostly beautiful, sharp and high-contrast.
To the rear, the joint at the free endpaper/inner hinge is damaged and partly loose/torn. The book should be opened there with care. The text block itself appears complete in the photographs and ends correctly on page 580.
The numerous photographs give an accurate picture of execution, illustrations and condition and form part of the description.
A particularly decorative copy for collectors of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, 19th-century American literature, Victorian bookbindings and illustrated books.