The Disowned (1866) By Sir Edward Bulwer Lytton  Illustrated Routledge Edition
 
Features
 
New edition published 1866
Illustrated frontispiece by Dalziel
Original blue blind-stamped decorative cloth
Gilt lettering and decoration to spine
Yellow pastedowns and endpapers
Publisher’s catalogue at rear
Victorian pressed flower retained between pages 10–11
Complete copy
 
Bibliographic Details
 
Author: Sir Edward Bulwer-Lytton
Title: The Disowned
Illustrator: Dalziel (frontispiece)
Publisher: George Routledge and Sons
Place of publication: London (Broadway, Ludgate Hill)
Date: 1866
Edition: New edition
Binding: Original blind-stamped blue cloth, gilt spine
Pagination: 346 pages + publisher’s catalogue
Weight: Approx. 374 grams
 
This edition includes a finely engraved frontispiece by Dalziel, from the renowned Dalziel Brothers workshop, celebrated for their high-quality Victorian wood engravings. The Dalziels collaborated with many leading 19th-century artists and illustrators and were instrumental in elevating illustrated fiction during the mid-Victorian period. The presence of this professionally executed frontispiece enhances both the visual and bibliographic interest of the volume, marking it as a more considered illustrated edition rather than a plain reprint.
 
Interior Condition
 
Pages lightly tanned, consistent with age
Yellow pastedowns and endpapers
Pages generally neat and predominantly uncreased
Occasional light or small marks, not affecting text
Very occasional small creases and light inner-margin creasing to some pages
Pressed Victorian flower between pages 10–11 (a period custom)
Ink stamps present on:
Front free endpaper
Title page
Final page
Back free endpaper
Reading: “D. Thompson, 60 & 62, Fulham Palace Rd., Hammersmith”
Remnants of pencil to front free endpaper.
Occasional very small edge rips, not affecting text
Light gutter cracks at pastedowns/endpapers and a handful of light cracks in the gutter at a few points within the text block, consistent with age. All pages remain secure.
Small repair with white tape between pages 80–81 at inner margin (see photographs)
 
Exterior Condition
 
Original blue blind-stamped cloth boards and spine
Gilt lettering and decoration to spine remain clear
Binding intact and robust
Wear includes:
Bumping to corners
Several light or small marks
Very small rips at head and tail of spine
Light rubbing to edges
Light fading, most noticeable on spine
Overall, a solid and presentable Victorian cloth binding
 
About the Book
 
The Disowned was first published in 1828 and proved popular enough to be reissued in multiple editions throughout the Victorian period.
 
It is of Bulwer-Lytton’s most ambitious social novels, examining class, legitimacy, ambition, and moral identity within early nineteenth-century society. Blending melodrama with political and philosophical themes, the novel reflects the author’s deep engagement with power, inheritance, and social mobility.
 
This 1866 Routledge edition presents the work in a handsome decorative cloth binding, intended for a middle-class Victorian readership seeking durable yet attractive library copies.
 
About the Author
 
Sir Edward Bulwer-Lytton (1803–1873) was a novelist, playwright, politician, and one of the most widely read authors of Victorian Britain.
 
Collector Notes
 
Period pressed flower retained as found; a charming and authentic Victorian survival
Trade stamp for D. Thompson, Fulham Palace Road, Hammersmith
Likely a nineteenth-century bookseller, stationer, or circulating-library associated trade outlet rather than a private owner
Such stamps are commonly encountered on circulating or retail stock of the period and form part of the book’s historical life
Structurally sound despite age-appropriate wear and minor repairs
A well-preserved example suitable for collection, display, or careful reading