1890 Scarce Book - Character and Fortune. ABC Guide to Palmistry by Paul Bello

Author: A Well-Known Palmist (Paul Bello).
Title: The A B C of Palmistry. Character and Fortune Revealed. With 12 Full-Page Illustrations.
Publisher: London: Henry J. Drane, Salisbury House, Salisbury Square, Fleet Street, E.C.; New York: Wycill & Company, 83 Nassau Street. Printed by Henry J. Drane, Ye Saint Bride’s Presse, London. [c.1890].
Language: Text in English.
Size: 5.5 " X 4.5 ".  
Pages: 127 pages + publisher's add..
Binding: Very good original publisher’s red pictorial cloth binding, boldly lettered and decorated in white with stylized open-hand emblems in each corner, and the title “A B C of Palmistry 1/-” to the upper cover (hinges fine, overall slightly scuffed - as shown, spine white title faded - as shown, minor light soiling to rear cover - as shown) under a protective removable mylar cover. Tight and square, an excellent survival of this fragile binding from Henry J. Drane’s popular “ABC Series.”
Content: Very good content (tight and clean, light uniform toning to pages - as shown, light foxing - as shown).
Illustrations: Complete with 12 full-page palm diagrams depicting the mounts, lines, and markings associated with character, destiny, and fate. Examples include The Lucky Hand, Blind Affection Causing Sorrow, and Death (Premature) — classic imagery of late Victorian occult illustration.

Estimate: (USD 150 – 200).

The book: A fascinating late 19th-century manual of palm reading by Paul Bello, a “well-known palmist” of the era, issued as part of Henry J. Drane’s popular “A.B.C.” instructional series. The ABC of Palmistry offers a concise yet richly symbolic guide to reading the hand, covering both physical and metaphysical interpretations of the lines, mounts, and phalanges. Presented in accessible alphabetical format, Bello’s work was designed to popularize palmistry as both a practical art and a form of self-knowledge. The accompanying diagrams combine Victorian graphic clarity with a mystical charm that appealed to readers interested in the era’s fashionable occult sciences — from phrenology to astrology and divination.

The author: Paul Bello was a late-Victorian palmist and author associated with Henry J. Drane’s London publishing house, known for producing affordable, illustrated “one-shilling” guides on esoteric and practical subjects alike.