Antique Ornate Victorian Book '78 Animal Life Primeval World Mammoth Prehistoric For Sale

Animal Life in the Primeval World: Described and Illustrated, with a Chapter on Pre-Historic Man
By W. H. Davenport Adams
Thomas Nelson and Sons — London, Edinburgh & New York
1878

A wonderful Victorian-era natural history and paleontology book, published in 1878 and devoted to the strange animals, geology, fossils and prehistoric landscapes of the ancient world.

This is an especially attractive example in its original green pictorial publisher's cloth, elaborately decorated in black and gold. The front board features a fantastic gilt illustration captioned “The Mammoth Restored,” while the spine carries another large gilt prehistoric fossil/skeleton vignette. The spine proudly advertises “With 78 Illustrations.”

The decoration alone makes this a terrific display book.

Inside are 78 illustrations depicting prehistoric animals, fossils, geological formations and reconstructions of ancient environments. The frontispiece presents an elaborate Victorian reconstruction captioned “Ideal View of a Marshy Forest of the Coal Period.”

The contents explore the developing Victorian understanding of geology and extinct life, including prehistoric mammals, ancient reptiles, fossil animals and a dedicated section on pre-historic man. One photographed chapter, for example, discusses Hystrix primigenius, an extinct porcupine, and the book recounts discoveries by important 19th-century naturalists and paleontologists.

Published in 1878, this book appeared during an extraordinary period in the development of paleontology and evolutionary science.

Charles Darwin's On the Origin of Species had appeared only 19 years earlier, in 1859. Fossils, geological time, extinction and humanity's antiquity had become subjects of enormous public fascination and debate.

Books such as this brought the rapidly changing scientific picture of Earth's past into the Victorian home. Its reconstructions are fascinating today not only for what Victorian naturalists understood correctly, but also for showing how prehistoric life was imagined before modern paleontology completely transformed our picture of dinosaurs and other extinct animals.

An especially charming feature is the large original presentation bookplate mounted inside the front cover:

Wesleyan College
Taunton

Awarded to J. W. Morgan
for Good & Careful Writing
Christmas 1880

Thus, only about two years after publication, this particular copy was presented as a school prize at Wesleyan College in Taunton, England.

Rather than being an anonymous antique book, this copy retains a tangible piece of its Victorian history. Imagine receiving this spectacular mammoth-covered book as a Christmas school prize in 1880!

There is also an old handwritten ownership inscription on the front blank/endpaper.

The original Victorian publisher's binding is particularly appealing:

• Deep green cloth-covered boards
• Large gilt woolly mammoth illustration on front
• “THE MAMMOTH RESTORED” caption
• Elaborate black interlaced/Celtic-style ornamental bands
• Gilt and black decorated spine
• Large gilt fossil/skeleton vignette on spine
• Gilt title and lettering
• “WITH 78 ILLUSTRATIONS” prominently displayed on spine
• Blind-stamped ornamental border decorating the rear board

This is the sort of ornate publisher's binding that makes 19th-century books so enjoyable to collect and display.

Good antique condition for a book published nearly 150 years ago.

The original green cloth remains attractive with strong gilt decoration and remarkably eye-catching mammoth artwork. There is expected rubbing, handling wear and age-related surface wear to the boards.

The spine ends show noticeable wear, particularly at the head, with fraying/loss along the upper edge. Corners and extremities show expected rubbing and wear.

Interior pages show scattered age toning and foxing, ranging from light to more noticeable on some preliminary pages. There are old handwritten ownership markings/inscriptions.

The original 1880 Wesleyan College prize presentation plate remains mounted inside the front cover and shows expected age spotting.

Please carefully examine all photographs for the exact condition.

Despite its honest Victorian wear, this remains a very handsome, highly displayable copy, with the green cloth, black ornamentation and extensive gilt work presenting beautifully.

This book combines several highly collectible areas in one piece: Victorian natural history, early popular paleontology, prehistoric animals, fossils, mammoths, geology, prehistoric man, elaborate pictorial bookbinding and documented 1880 school-prize provenance.

It is also simply a gorgeous old book. The gilt mammoth marching across the green front board and the fossil image running down the spine give it tremendous shelf presence.

An authentic 1878 Victorian window into the emerging science—and imagination—of the prehistoric world.