Visit to the Holy Land Egypt and Italy 1853 Ida Pfeiffer Illustrated Travel
 
Visit to the Holy Land, Egypt, and Italy by Madame Ida Pfeiffer – 1853 Second Edition
 
Bibliographic Details
 
Title: Visit to the Holy Land, Egypt, and Italy
Author: Madame Ida Pfeiffer (1797 – 1858)
Translator: H. W. Dulcken
Publisher: Ingram, Cooke & Co., 227 Strand, London
Printer: Levey, Robson and Franklyn, Great New Street and Fetter Lane, London
Edition: Second Edition (1853) – First Edition published 1852
Illustrations: Seven tinted engraved plates (including frontispiece of Jerusalem printed in tints by E. Evans)
Binding: Original green blind-stamped cloth with ornate decoration and gilt lettering on the spine
Pagination: 336 pp + publisher’s catalogue at rear
Dimensions: 20 × 13.8 × 2.4 cm Weight: Approx. 430 g
 
Description and Condition
 
Exterior:
Bound in richly decorated green blind-stamped cloth with gilt spine lettering. The binding remains firm and robust, with expected wear for its age – bumping to the corners, light rubbing at the edges, a few surface marks and a faint stain to the front board. The gilt on the spine remains bright.
 
Interior:
Yellow pastedowns and endpapers; roughly cut page edges typical of mid-Victorian bindings. The pages are lightly tanned with scattered light foxing and occasional minor marks, but overall remain neat, legible and largely uncreased. Some creasing is visible between pages 135–138 and a few preliminary pages show faint stains.
 
A charming period inscription appears on the front flyleaf:
 
“Jane Willis, The gift of a friend, December 27th 1856.”
 
A few pages show small edge rips not affecting text. The binding is secure throughout, with only very light gutter cracks (not affecting integrity). Several gatherings remain partially uncut – between pages 141–144, 155–158, 163–166, 169–176, 177–184, 187–190, and 329–336.
 
Illustrations
 
Includes seven tinted engravings by E. Evans (including frontispiece of Jerusalem).
Although the title page specifies eight plates, some verified 1853 second-edition issues were printed with only seven. The absence of the plate facing p. 160 in this volume likely reflects such a variant, as there are no signs of removal or stubs.
 
Historical Context
 
A celebrated travel narrative from the pioneering Austrian explorer Madame Ida Pfeiffer, one of the earliest female solo travellers of the nineteenth century. Her journeys through the Middle East, Egypt, and Italy captured the imagination of Victorian readers, offering vivid descriptions of Jerusalem, Cairo, and Mediterranean landscapes. Pfeiffer’s writings, translated widely across Europe, inspired new perspectives on women’s travel and cross-cultural exploration in an era of limited female mobility.