Antiquarian Pilgrim’s Progress John Bunyan c1855 Half Calf Illustrated Virtue
 
Title & Author
The Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan
 
Publisher & Date
Published by James S. Virtue, City Road and Ivy Lane, London.
Printed by J. S. Virtue, City Road, London.
Undated; circa 1855–1865.
 
Dating justification
The imprint naming James S. Virtue places publication after 1855, when James Sprent Virtue returned from New York and took over the family business. In 1865, his brother William joined the firm, after which publications appear under Virtue & Co. This volume therefore dates securely to 1855–1865.
 
Edition Information
Carefully collated edition, incorporating the author’s final additions and corrections, with a Life of John Bunyan by the Rev. Robert Philip.
 
Physical Description
Large octavo. Original half calf leather binding, with calf spine, corners, and inner boards; raised bands, gilt decoration and title to spine. Marbled paper-covered boards with matching marbled pastedowns and endpapers.
 
Key Features
Substantial Victorian illustrated edition of Bunyan’s masterpiece
Numerous woodcut illustrations and steel engravings
Ornate portrait frontispiece
Fold-out colour plan from the City of Destruction to the Celestial City
Facsimile of John Bunyan’s will
Carefully collated text with Bunyan’s final revisions
 
Historical / Bibliographic Context
First published in 1678, The Pilgrim’s Progress is one of the most influential works of theological fiction in English literature. Written as an allegorical dream narrative, it charts the spiritual journey of “Christian” toward salvation. This mid-Victorian edition reflects the period’s emphasis on moral literature, fine illustration, and substantial bindings intended for family libraries.
 
Condition Report
Exterior
Original half calf binding intact and robust
Gilt spine title and decoration present
Wear consistent with age (c.160+ years):
Rubbing to boards, spine, edges, and corners
Scratches and surface patches
Fading
Small rips at the head of the spine
No dust jacket (not issued)
Interior
Pages bright for age
Light foxing and small marks throughout, heavier on a few pages
Pages generally neat and largely uncreased
Pages 305 through the plate facing page 307 detached from the binding and creased, with small edge tears (text and illustrations unaffected)
A few additional small edge tears elsewhere
Several pages with pinprick-sized holes at inner margins (text unaffected)
Light pen underlining on page v, with slight transfer to adjacent plate
No further pen or pencil marks
Cracking in the gutter between a handful of pages
All plates, illustrations, and fold-out plan present
 
Dimensions & Weight
24.5 × 17.8 × 4.3 cm
Weight: c. 1,196 g
 
Completeness Notes
315 pages plus lxxvii preliminary pages
Portrait frontispiece present
Fold-out colour plan present
Facsimile of Bunyan’s will present
No missing pages or illustrations
 
Collector’s Summary
A substantial and attractively illustrated mid-Victorian edition of The Pilgrim’s Progress, published by James S. Virtue circa 1855–1865. Offered in original half calf with marbled boards, this copy retains all plates, engravings, and the folding colour plan. Despite age-related wear and some internal looseness, it remains a complete and impressive example, well suited to collectors of Victorian religious literature or illustrated Bunyan editions.