In fair condition. Moderate wear to extremities with scuffing and rubbing to covers. Spine mostly missing with binding exposed. Lovely floral details to covers are bright and clean. Nicely decorated overall. All edges gilt. A few notations in old hand to end papers. Blind stamp of previous bookseller in York, PA on rear of front flyleaf. Interior lightly toned. Scattered foxing. Tissue guards intact. Binding intact. Please see photos.
Gift books, literary annuals, or keepsakes were 19th-century books, often lavishly decorated, which collected essays, short fiction, and poetry. They were primarily published in the autumn, in time for the holiday season and were intended to be given away rather than read by the purchaser. They were often printed with the date of the coming new year, but copyrighted with the actual year of publication. Gift books first appeared in England in the 1820s. They were modeled after the long-established literary almanacs published in France and Germany.