Bidspirit auction | 1839. Olney, J. and John

1839. Olney, J. and John W. Barber. The Family Book of History. G. N. Loomis, 1839. - This 19th-century volume is titled The Family Book of History: Comprising a Concise View of the Most Interesting and Important Events in the History of All the Civilized Nations of the Earth. Compiled by J. Olney, A.M., and John W. Barber, the work was published in 1839 in Philadelphia by G. N. Loomis and in New Haven by Durrie and Peck. The book is bound in full contemporary brown leather, likely sheep or calf, in an octavo format. The covers are decorated with double gilt fillet borders, and the spine is divided into compartments with decorative gilt tooling and a dark leather title label. The interior contains marbled endpapers and numerous wood-engraved illustrations, including depictions of Queen Boadicea, the crowning of Charlemagne, Joan of Arc, the Great Fire of London, and William Tell. One engraving bears the signature of S.E. Brown. The title page credits J. Olney as the author of A Practical System of Geography and John W. Barber as the author of Connecticut and Massachusetts Historical Collections. The copyright page indicates the book was entered in the Clerk’s Office of the District Court of Connecticut in 1839. A handwritten pencil inscription on the flyleaf includes the text 694 Elias Family born and bred in Britain. The binding shows significant wear consistent with age and use, including rubbing and abrasions to the leather covers. There is loss of leather at the spine head and foot, and cracking is visible along the joints. The corners are bumped and worn through to the boards. Internally, the pages exhibit moderate to heavy foxing and age-toning throughout. Evidence of dampstaining is present on some margins. The binding remains intact despite the exterior wear.