c1886 Uncle Tom’s Cabin Illustrated Antiquarian Binding – Rare Ivy Series Edition
 
Overview
A beautifully preserved circa 1886 edition of Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe in the rare and decorative “Ivy Series” binding. Published by Hodder & Stoughton, London, with their 27 Paternoster Row address (used 1868 -1906) and matched to an 1886-dated copy at Cambridge University. Features include five full-page plates, top-edge colour, and yellow pastedowns and endpapers.
 
Exterior Condition
Bound in original grey cloth boards and spine with gilt title lettering, brown decorative text, and a striking multi-coloured ivy motif to the front cover. Boards remain robust and well-preserved, with light rubbing, mostly to edges and corners, bumping to bottom corners, and small or marks. The gilt remains bright, and the cover retains strong visual appeal for a book of its age.
 
Interior Condition
Pages are lightly tanned, consistent with age, and generally clean, with only occasional light marks or creases. A small stain is present on the rear free endpaper and pastedown, and there is slightly darker tanning on the final page of text. Minor rubbing to the front pastedown where a previous inscription was covered up. No further pen or pencil present. A few pages have tiny edge rips, not affecting text. Slight binding crack between a couple of pages; pp. 291–298 are partially loose at lower inner margin but secure overall. All 426 pages are complete. All five illustrated plates (including frontispiece) are present.
 
Special Features
Five illustrated plates
Rare Ivy Series decorative binding
Top-edge colour
Yellow endpapers
Gilt and multi-coloured ivy motif
 
Provenance & Rarity
The “Ivy Series” binding for Uncle Tom’s Cabin is seldom seen in the market. This copy’s decorative cover and gilt embellishments, combined with its clean interior, make it a standout example for collectors of abolitionist literature or ornate Victorian bindings.
 
Specifications
Publication Date: c1886 (undated, matched via publisher address & JISC record)
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton, London
Language: English
Format: Hardback
Pages: 426
Dimensions: 18.5 × 12.5 × 3.4 cm
Weight: 564 g