All Posts

A rare surviving pair of volumes that preserves W. O. Massingberd’s 1904 translations of Lincoln Cathedral’s medieval charters.

Discover the artistry of Victorian blind stamping — a centuries-old bookbinding technique that creates intricate designs without colour or gold. Featuring rare examples from Natural Phenomena (1855) and The Poetical Works of Campbell & Coleridge (1857), this guide explores how subtle impressions transformed 19th-century bindings into timeless works of craftsmanship.

In Antiquarian Book Bindings Explained, we explore the craftsmanship, materials, and artistry that make historic bindings so captivating. From sumptuous full-leather and vellum volumes to decorative cloth, marbled papers, and rare gauffered edges, this guide reveals how these distinctive features reflect centuries of bookmaking tradition and aesthetic evolution.

In my search for antiquarian books, I’ve often found beautiful volumes damaged beyond repair by damp. Mould, staining, and warping can destroy rare books, but with the right care and storage, these treasures can be preserved for generations. Discover how to protect your collection from damp and keep history alive.

The Second World War reshaped London, but its bombs also left deep scars on the world of books. Archives burned, printing presses fell...

Discover the 1907 first edition The Story of Ashby-de-la-Zouch Oddfellows, inscribed to Provincial Grand Master J.H. Hawkins. A rare antiquarian book filled with history and meaning.

This Herb Lore Handmade Manuscript Book is a unique piece of artistry, filled with calligraphy and hand-painted floral designs. Likely created in the Victorian or early 20th century period, it combines herbal remedies with imaginative decoration, making it both a work of art and a rare glimpse into the past.

There is something quietly powerful about finding a handwritten inscription in an old book. In my work with antiquarian books , I spend a...

Discover the story behind Stray Rhymes (1873), a rare privately printed poetry collection by Duncan D. Hepburn, inscribed to the editor of the Nottingham Journal. This unique volume reveals a hidden piece of Nottingham’s literary history, and reflects the heart of what we treasure most: stories within stories. Explore its quiet beauty, personal inscription, and why it belongs at the centre of Literary Treasures.

Discover the hidden treasures found inside vintage books—from pressed flowers to Victorian lace—and the forgotten stories they quietly carry.

Discover a uniquely rare, privately printed 1873 edition of Poems by Ichabod Charles Wright, featuring unpublished works written just before his death. This scarce Victorian poetry collection, possibly the only surviving copy, offers a rare glimpse into the reflective final verses of the renowned Dante translator, poet, and Nottingham-born scholar. A true literary treasure for collectors and lovers of obscure 19th-century works.

Books As Art: The Allure of Victorian Decorative Bookbinding Step into any Victorian drawing room and you’d find more than fine china and...

A Rare Book with a Remarkable Provenance At Literary Treasures - we believe that books are more than printed pages - they are vessels of...

Go behind the scenes at Literary Treasures to see how rare books are sourced, researched, and carefully examined page by page. Discover the skill and patience it takes to be an antiquarian bookseller — and why every book has a story waiting to be uncovered.

While preparing a beautiful first edition of Dylan Thomas’s Under Milk Wood  (1954) for listing, I found something I didn’t expect. A...

Welcome to Literary Treasures! For my debut blog post, I couldn’t resist featuring one of the rarest, and most captivating, titles in my...