MASSIVE 15 LB Antique 1880s Victorian Family Bible Cranston & Stowe KJV Folio For Sale

Publisher Cranston & Stowe

Year Printed Circa 1886–1892 (Exact publication window)Binding Leather (Padded Victorian Relief Embossed)

Language EnglishSubject Religion & Spirituality

Special Attributes Illustrated, Fine Binding, Family Record Entry, Includes Ephemera

Make a reasonable offer for both of us and it will be shipped lightning fast

**MASSIVE 15-LB MONUMENTAL VICTORIAN FAMILY BIBLE**

**PUBLISHER:** Cranston & Stowe (Cincinnati, Chicago, St. Louis)

**DATE:** Circa 1886–1892 (Dated via historical publisher records & interior engraving copyrights)

**EDITION:** "The Complete Domestic Bible"

**TRANSLATION:** King James Version (Authorized Version)

Up for purchase is an extraordinarily heavy, monumental 15-pound late-Victorian Family Bible. This is a top-tier, museum-scale folio edition designed as a 19th-century parlor centerpiece.

For the collector seeking a volume with stunning historical shelf presence, this book features a deeply embossed, ornate padded leather cover with an exquisite geometric checkerboard-and-floral (daisy/chrysanthemum) relief pattern. The front panel remains deeply defined with bright gold gilt lettering, offering an authentic, rich historic patina that is highly sought after for high-end antique displays, historical prop houses, or library curation.

**INTERIOR CONDITION REPORT (NEAR MINT / FINE)**

- **The Text Block:** Incredible preservation. The internal pages are remarkably bright, crisp, and clean—free of the heavy finger-soiling, water damage, or mold common to books of this age. Very little to no foxing or age-spotting present.

- **Page Edges:** The text block edges are perfectly square, flush, and completely clean. The brilliant gold leaf edge gilding remains exceptionally bright and reflective.

- **Minor Notable Flaws:** To ensure absolute transparency for premium collectors, please note there is a minor clean cut at the bottom edge of one interior text page, and the very first and last endpapers show typical edge separation at the hinge. These do not affect readability or the structural layout of the text block.

- **Illustrations:** Features magnificent, sharp, full-page tinted steel engravings (including William Holman Hunt's iconic "The Light of the World" and "The Entry into the Ark") preserved beautifully behind original tissue guards.

**EXTERIOR BINDING & STRUCTURAL REPORT**

- **Structural Binding:** Rock-solid. The heavy 15-pound interior stitching holds the text block tightly together; pages are not falling out or loose from the middle.

- **Outer Spine:** The outer leather spine exhibits heavy vintage dry-rot flaking and is separated cleanly along the outer hinge. This is completely standard for 140-year-old heavy leather parlor Bibles. The book has been left completely untouched and uncleaned to preserve its raw antique value.

**PROVENANCE & HISTORICAL EPHEMERA INCLUDED:**

This heirloom was discovered at an estate sale in Springville, New York (Erie County). It contains a single handwritten genealogical entry on the "Family Record" page documenting a prominent historical Western New York family line:

- Judge Joshua Gaskill (Born Lockport, N.Y., 1835-1901) — Prominent Lockport lawyer and surrogate judge.

- Salome Cox (Born Buffalo, N.Y., 1840-1908) — His wife, married 1863.

**BONUS:** Found inside and included with your purchase is an original, double-sided typed church program from the Noble Road Presbyterian Church in Cleveland Heights, Ohio, dated Sunday, January 5, 1941, mapping the family's migration from NY to Ohio. It will be left exactly where it was discovered.

**SHIPPING DETAILS:**

Due to the immense 15-pound weight and large physical dimensions of this folio volume, it will be double-boxed and heavily padded to guarantee safe transit. Ships via USPS with full tracking. Sold as-is. Please review all high-resolution photos carefully to evaluate the condition for yourself.