Antique 1905 Virginibus Puerisque Stevenson Chatto Windus Gold Spine Book

• Type: Antique Essay Fiction Anthology Book

• Designer: Chatto & Windus Series Design Studio

• Brand: Robert Louis Stevenson Literary Estate

• Manufacturer: Chatto & Windus, Publishers (London)

• MPN: St. Martin's Library Fine Paper Edition (1905)

• Place of Origin: London, United Kingdom

• Style: Edwardian Belle Époque Fine Press / Bibliophile Collectable

• Colour: Faded Slate Teal Green, Rich Gold Gilt Printing

• Design Era: Early 20th Century / Late Edwardian Era (c. 1905 Stated First Edition Form)

• Material: Gilt-Stamped Fine Woven Bookcloth, Heavy Card Boards

• Set Includes: Single Hardback Volume

• Features: Stamped Base Plate, Ornate Art Nouveau Spine Filigree, Ninth Thousand Impression Stating 1905

• Condition: Vintage Condition (Vibrant Gilt Spine / Cover Edge Wear - See Details)

• Size: Standard Library Format (7" Height x 4.75" Width)

• Dating: This volume dates precisely to 1905. The clear typographical imprint on the main title page, paired with the internal printing ledger tracking its position within the Ninth Thousand production run, confirms its exact place in early twentieth-century publishing history.

• Historical Note: First published as a standalone collection in 1881, Virginibus Puerisque (Latin for "With regards to girls and boys") compiles Robert Louis Stevenson’s most celebrated early essays and belles-lettres on youth, love, marriage, and the human condition. This specific 1905 release was formatted as a premium, compact pocket luxury volume by Chatto & Windus for their famous St. Martin's Library line. Built to combine beautiful shelf presence with portability, it remains a phenomenal piece of early 20th-century literature design.

A magnificent addition to any fine library, antiquarian bookcase, or specialized Scottish literature collection, this 1905 St. Martin's Library edition of Stevenson’s works presents immense decorative value. The cover features a subtle, blind-debossed framing pattern that draws all emphasis to the spectacular column of bright, reflective gold filigree scrollwork striking up the spine.

This volume is in honest antique condition, exhibiting a wonderful historic character across all 12 inspected check-frames. The original dark slate-teal cloth binding remains secure, displaying light surface rubbing, corner softening, and minor historic fraying to the spine cloth tips. The gold-gilt stamped text and Art Nouveau filigree details along the spine remain remarkably bright, crisp, and highly reflective. Internally, the book is in very good condition; the text block is tightly bound, the hinges are solid, and the early paper stock is clean with only gentle, natural age-toning and no modern pen signatures or heavy foxing. This book is sold as a verified 1905 heritage copy. Please review all gallery photos for an exact look at the exterior cloth character.

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• Packaging: Antique bookcloth and fragile gold leaf gilding are highly sensitive to corner drop compression and moisture. This volume will be vacuum-sealed in a waterproof plastic sleeve, safely wrapped in thick high-density bubble cushioning, and packed inside a rigid corrugated mailer box to ensure arrival in its current pristine condition.

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