1860 Rare book - The Poetical Works of Edgar Allan Poe, Illustrated
Author: Edgar Allan Poe.
Title: The Poetical Works of Edgar Allan Poe.
Publisher: London, J. & C. Brown and Co., Ave Maria Lane, [circa early 1860s].
Language: Text in English.
Size: 7 x 5 inches.
Pages: xxx-185 pages + publisher's catalogue.
Binding: Very good original publisher’s brown cloth, blind-stamped on both covers with foliate corner ornaments, the upper cover gilt-stamped with a central lyre device; spine lettered in gilt and decorated in blind.(hinges fine, overall slightly worn and scuffed - as shown, sunning and decoloration to the rear cover - as shown) under a protective removable mylar cover. All edges gilt.
Content: Very good content (bright, tight and clean, some light foxing and staining - as shown, a small stain to the preliminary leaves - as shown, contemporary gift inscription dated January 1863 to a preliminary page - as shown).
Illustrations: Illustrated with numerous engraved plates and vignettes, including a striking frontispiece to “The Raven” and additional illustrations throughout the text. An engraved portrait of Poe is also present. Complete.
Estimate: (USD 400–500).
The book: This Victorian volume gathers the poetic works of Edgar Allan Poe in a richly illustrated and carefully presented English edition, issued for a readership already deeply receptive to Poe’s dark lyricism and musical verse. Poems such as The Raven, Lenore, Annabel Lee, and Ulalume appear here in a format designed to balance literary seriousness with visual appeal. The presence of the publisher’s catalogue dating from after 1858, together with the 1863 gift inscription, places this copy firmly within the early phase of Poe’s enduring British reception.
The author: Edgar Allan Poe (1809–1849) remains one of the most influential figures in nineteenth-century literature. Renowned for his mastery of sound, rhythm, and psychological intensity, his poetry shaped the development of symbolism and modern lyric expression. British editions such as this one played a crucial role in securing Poe’s reputation abroad, where his work was often received with greater enthusiasm than during his lifetime in America.