Cassell’s Illustrated Family Bible

5RR Old and New Testaments with Explanatory Notes, References, and a Condensed Concordance. London: Casselle, Petter, and Galpin, ca. 1890.

Notes

Cassell’s Illustrated Family Bible was a lavishly produced Victorian-era edition of the Bible, first published in the mid to late 19th century by Cassell, Petter & Galpin, a prominent British publishing house. Aimed at middle-class households, it was designed not only as a sacred text but also as an educational and decorative family heirloom. It typically contained the full text of the King James Version of the Bible, often with additional commentaries, historical notes, and devotional material to aid in family reading and study.

What made Cassell’s edition particularly distinctive were its extensive illustrations, many of them wood engravings based on biblical scenes and historical contexts. These illustrations, produced by well-known artists and engravers of the period, brought the stories of the Bible vividly to life and reflected the Victorian interest in biblical archaeology and realism. Often printed in large folio format with ornate bindings, Cassell’s Illustrated Family Bible served both religious and aesthetic purposes, symbolizing the importance of faith, literacy, and domestic respectability in the Victorian home.

Description

Purple leather boards with blind tooled ornamentation on the upper, lower board, and spine. Gilt lettering on the spine as well. Brass edges with clasp. Marbled endpapers. All edges gilt. Over 900 illustrations throughout. Blank family pages making it a perfect family heirloom bible. Pristine condition overall.

Original black pebble leather box with purple velvet lining and brass closure. Rather significant damage to the edges of the box with fraying and cracking to the hinge. Gilt lettering on box lid as well. Box in fair condition.

SIze: 13 x 10 1/2 x 4 1/4 inches