Lavengro George Borrow 1914 Foulis Edition Colour Plates Edmund Sullivan
 
Lavengro by George Borrow 1914 Foulis edition with 12 colour plates by Edmund J Sullivan gilt cloth binding and top edge gilt illustrated antiquarian copy.
 
Title & Bibliographic Details
Title: Lavengro: The Scholar, The Gypsy, The Priest
Author: George Borrow
Illustrator: Edmund J. Sullivan
Publisher: T. N. Foulis, London, Edinburgh & Boston
Printer: Ballantyne, Hanson & Co.
Date: November 1914 (as printed)
Edition: Illustrated early twentieth-century Foulis edition
Binding: Original publisher’s green cloth with gilt lettering and top edge gilt
Illustrations: 12 mounted colour plates including frontispiece (complete)
 
Historical & Literary Context
First published in 1851, Lavengro is among the most distinctive autobiographical works of nineteenth-century English literature, blending memoir, travel narrative, folklore, linguistics, and fiction into a uniquely personal account of wandering life among Romani communities and rural England.
This attractive 1914 edition from T. N. Foulis forms part of their distinguished illustrated literary series and includes twelve atmospheric mounted colour plates after watercolours by Edmund J. Sullivan, one of the leading illustrators of the Edwardian period.
 
About the Author
George Burrow (1803–1881) was a traveller, linguist, and writer celebrated for his vivid autobiographical works exploring Romani culture, rural Britain, and European travel. His best-known books include Lavengro and The Romany Rye, both considered classics of nineteenth-century travel literature.
 
About the Illustrator
Edmund J. Sullivan (1869–1933) was a prominent British illustrator associated with the golden age of book illustration. His distinctive romantic and atmospheric watercolour plates enhanced many fine literary editions published in the early twentieth century.
 
Binding & Exterior Condition
A handsome example in the original publisher’s green cloth binding with:
gilt lettering to front board and spine 
top edge gilt 
characteristic rough-cut fore and lower page edges 
minimal general edge wear 
light bumping to corners 
spine toned to brown from shelf exposure 
The binding remains structurally strong and attractive.
 
Interior Condition
Internally the volume remains clean and complete.
Features include:
all 12 mounted colour plates present 
coloured endpapers 
Pen inscription on front flyleaf dated Xmas 1919
light foxing to pages and page edges 
typical uneven fore-edges from original paperknife opening of gatherings 
small partial tear to inner margin of title page 
small tear to lower corner of page 391 (and facing page) 
small pinhole to lower margin of page 433 (and facing page) 
slight gutter opening beside the half-title page 
There are no further pen/pencil inscriptions or annotations.
The binding remains secure with no loose pages.
Pagination complete:
655 pages of text + 6 publisher advertisement pages
 
About the Page Edges 
The uneven fore-edges visible in this volume result from the traditional practice of opening originally uncut gatherings with a paper knife. This is a normal and historically authentic feature of early twentieth-century book production and adds character to the copy.
 
Physical Details
Pagination: 655 pages + 6 publisher advertisements
Illustrations: 12 mounted colour plates
Dimensions: approx. 21.9 cm × 14 cm × 5.5 cm
Weight: approx. 858 g