Illustrated Guide to Lincolnshire, What to See and How to See It (c.1900) — G. J. Wilkinson — Antique/Antiquarian Guide, illustrated
Circa 1900 illustrated county guide to Lincolnshire by G. J. Wilkinson, extensively illustrated, with local provenance and a framed photograph found inside.
Full description
Author
G. J. Wilkinson
Title
Illustrated Guide to Lincolnshire, What to See and How to See It — The Tourist’s Handbook
Date
c.1900 (copyright as printed)
Publisher
Published by the author at 18 York Avenue, Lincoln; also at the Gazette and Echo offices, Lincoln. Printed in London by Messrs. Iliffe, Sons & Sturmey, Ltd. and in Lincoln at the Gazette and Echo.
Format / Binding
Green cloth boards, gilt printed title on front board and spine.
Extent
304 pages, all present.
Size & weight
Approx. 19.7 × 13.1 × 2.3 cm. Weight approx. 489 g.
Description
A locally produced illustrated tourist handbook for Lincolnshire, copyrighted c.1900 and printed for private or local sale. The volume contains a photographic frontispiece and numerous photographic and pictorial illustrations throughout. The text and images offer a contemporary visitor’s view of county sights, architecture and local points of interest. This volume offers a wealth of historical information, making it an essential reference for Lincolnshire historians, genealogists, and collectors of local history.
Provenance note
Accompanying the book is a framed cabinet card photograph of a young Lincolnshire lady, elegantly dressed in early 1890s attire. Her high-necked, fitted bodice, centre-parted hair, and watch chain draped from the waist date the portrait to circa 1892–1896. The mount bears the attribution "J. Upton, 24 Southgate, Sleaford" in gilt. By the early 1900s, Thomas Upton operated at this address, suggesting the photographer may have been part of the same family business. Could this be your ancestor? This unique pairing offers a tangible connection to the people and places of Victorian Lincolnshire.
This guide will appeal to local-history collectors, genealogists researching Lincolnshire families, and anyone interested in early regional publishing and local photographic studios.
Condition - Exterior
Covers: green cloth boards with gilt title to front and spine. Covers intact and robust with light rubbing to the cloth, soft bumping to the corners, light rubbing and discoloration on the spine, small splits at the top and bottom of the spine, and a partial split down the spine which does not compromise the structure. Gilt remains legible.
Condition - Interior
Pages: lightly tanned throughout. Light foxing to the front preliminaries and occasional small marks. Advertisements on the pastedowns. A pen inscription on the title page reads "H. Drury, Kirkby-la-Thorpe, Sleaford". There is a small correction to a date on p.287 in pen. Several pages have small edge tears, including inner margin. This includes at the fore-edge near the front pastedown and frontispiece. These do not obscure text or images. Minor cracks in the binding beside the frontispiece and at the inner margin near pages 128-129, 288-289, and to the side of page 304. The text block is secure and tight. All 304 pages are present.
Illustrations and special features
Photographic frontispiece and numerous photographic illustrations throughout. The framed photograph (shown in the images) is included as part of the provenance and local interest material.
Research and rarity
This is a locally printed and locally published tourist handbook, not mass market. Copies of locally published tourist handbooks of this type are uncommon on the open market, making this attractive to collectors of county guides, local historians, and researchers of small regional photographic studios.