Who Were the First Builders? 1875 Victorian Natural History Illustrated T Nelson
 
Who Were the First Builders?
Published by: T. Nelson and Sons, Paternoster Row, London, 1875
Binding: Illustrated decorative cloth hardcover
Pages: 72 pp.
Dimensions: 16.3 × 10.8 × 1 cm
Weight: 119 g
 
Description
 
A charming and educational Victorian natural history book exploring the instinctive “architecture” of the animal kingdom – from the dams of beavers to the delicate nests of swallows, martins, and termites.
 
Lavishly illustrated throughout, including a beautifully coloured frontispiece, the book blends scientific curiosity with moral instruction typical of 19th-century children’s literature. It demonstrates the Victorian fascination with the natural world and the idea of divine design in animal behaviour.
 
This edition was published by T. Nelson and Sons, a major London publisher known for high-quality illustrated books aimed at schools and family reading, particularly in science, religion, and travel.
 
Exterior Condition
 
Bound in brown decorated cloth over boards and spine, featuring blind-stamped floral motifs and a colour illustrated plate to the front showing birds and flowers.
The cover is intact and robust, with expected age wear:
Bumping and small rips to corners
Light rubbing and surface marks, mainly at edges
Overall, a good and attractive Victorian binding that presents well.
 
Interior Condition
 
Pages lightly and evenly tanned, with darker patches on the endpapers
Neat and clean throughout, with only the occasional light mark that does not obscure text or images
Small pen note on page 8
Bookseller/stationer sticker on the front pastedown
Pages are securely bound with no rips and only a few very light creases
All 72 pages are present and complete.
 
Historical Context
 
Books such as Who Were the First Builders? were part of a wave of Victorian educational natural history designed to teach children about nature while reinforcing moral or theological lessons. The title’s question – “Who were the first builders?” – reflects both a scientific curiosity about animals and a spiritual view of the natural world’s order.