1905 First Edition A Driving Tour in the Isle of Wight Hubert Garle Illustrated
 
1905 first edition of A Driving Tour in the Isle of Wight by Hubert Garle, illustrated with 12 plates. Complete, original cloth; regionally rare.
 
Title & Bibliographic Details
 
A Driving Tour in the Isle of Wight, with Various Legends and Anecdotes; Also a Short Account of George Morland and His Connection with the Island
By Hubert Garle
 
Edited by Percy Fairclough
Newport, Isle of Wight: The County Press, 1905
First Edition, original decorative cloth, illustrated with 12 plates including colour illustrations and frontispiece.
 
Historical & Bibliographic Context
 
This Edwardian travel and topographical work provides a richly illustrated tourist and cultural guide to the Isle of Wight, including churches, inns, scenic gorges, castles, and historical lore. It also includes a biographical account of artist George Morland’s Isle of Wight connection, making it important for regional art history enthusiasts as well as local historians.
 
Travel culture in the early 20th century was rapidly evolving with the rise of motor touring, and this book captures that transitional moment, blending picturesque travel writing with scholarly local history.
 
Binding & Exterior Description
 
Bound in original blue cloth over boards and spine, with black lettering and an illustrated scene of a horse and cart on the front, and gilt lettering on the spine.
The binding remains intact and attractive, with:
Light rubbing and fading at edges
Light wear to corners
Light marking to boards
Small partial splits at spine joints
A presentable and structurally secure Edwardian binding.
 
Interior Condition
 
Pages lightly tanned, typical of age
Rough-cut edges. The roughly cut page edges are typical of copies originally issued unopened and later carefully opened by hand with a paper knife.
Very light foxing and occasional marks, none obscuring text or illustrations
Front pastedown with pen inscription dated 1949
Minimal edge nicks and small edge rips
Light gutter cracks at a handful of gatherings
All leaves secure
All 216 pages + xxlv Appendix + 19 pages adverts present and accounted for
 
All 12 illustrated plates are present, including colour views of Brading Church, Shanklin Chine, Carisbrooke Castle, and George Morland’s illustrations.
 
Physical Details
 
Pages: 216 + xlv Appendix + 19 Advert pages
Dimensions: approx. 23.2 × 15.2 × 2.1 cm
Weight: approx. 675 g
 
Rarity & Collector Notes
 
This 1905 first edition original cloth copy is highly collectable among Isle of Wight regional history enthusiasts, Edwardian travel collectors, and those specialising in illustrated local topography.
 
The additional unlisted colour plate (Shanklin Chine) adds charm and interest; this appears in other first edition copies and is likely a publisher’s omission from the published list rather than a variant.
 
Provenance
 
Contains a 1949 ink inscription on the front pastedown. Early ownership marks add personal history and context to this local book.