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The Romance of Insect Life by Edmund Selous is a 1906 illustrated natural-history hardcover exploring the strange and curious aspects of the insect world.
For nature enthusiasts and collectors of decorative antique books, its engaging accounts encourage closer observation and a deeper appreciation of the intricate lives unfolding in gardens, woodlands, and everyday surroundings.
Published by J. B. Lippincott Company, Philadelphia, with Seeley & Co. Limited, London, also named on the title page. The title page calls for twenty-one illustrations by Lancelot Speed and Carton Moore Park. The photographed plates include “Fire Beetles as Lanterns” and “Solitary Wasps,” while the text shown discusses katydid concerts.
The striking blue cloth hardcover features elaborate gilt, red, and silver-colored decoration, with a spiderweb scene on the front board and insect designs extending along the spine.
Condition: Fair. The decorative cover remains visually striking, but the spine cloth is split along the front joint and pulls away, exposing the underlying spine lining, as photographed. The front inner hinge is also cracked. Covers show rubbing, scuffing, worn corners, and fraying with losses at the spine ends. Pages and edges are age-toned, with scattered foxing and heavier discoloration on the front endpaper. Pencil notations appear on the front endpaper. The photographed text and illustrations remain clear. Please review all photographs, particularly the close-ups of the spine separation.
SKU D-7
