Antique 1890 Leather-Bound “The Poetical Works of Robert Burns” – Frederick Warne & Co – Red Morocco-Style Leather, Gilt Edges, Marbled Endpapers – Victorian Gift Edition
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Bring a touch of Victorian elegance to your bookshelf with this exquisite 1890 antique edition of The Poetical Works of Robert Burns, beautifully published by Frederick Warne & Co as part of their prestigious “Lansdowne Poets” series. This richly bound volume is a stunning example of late 19th-century craftsmanship, designed to be both a treasured reading copy and a handsome display piece.
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📘 A BEAUTIFUL 19TH-CENTURY EDITION
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Bound in deep red morocco-style leather, this volume exudes classic Victorian charm. The cover features gilt lettering simply reading Burns, understated yet sophisticated. The book’s edges are finished in bright gilt, a luxury specification that not only adds beauty but also protected the pages from dust and humidity over the past 134 years.
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Inside, you’ll find marbled endpapers in blue-grey with gold veining — elegant, richly decorative, and entirely original to this period. The internal pages are bordered with a fine red-ruled frame, a signature design element of Frederick Warne’s high-quality poetry editions from the late 1800s.
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📜 FEATURES & DETAILS
Title: The Poetical Works of Robert Burns
Publisher: Frederick Warne & Co, London & New York
Date: 1890
Series: The “Lansdowne” Poets
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Binding: Full red morocco-style leather
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Special features: Gilt title, gilt page edges (AEG), marbled endpapers, red border-ruled pages
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Frontispiece: Engraved portrait of Robert Burns with tissue guard
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Printer: Morrison & Gibb, Edinburgh (noted for exceptionally fine printing during the Victorian era)
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Size: Compact and elegant – perfect for gifting or display
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This volume includes Burns’ most celebrated poems, reprinted from authoritative early editions, with additional notes and explanatory matter typical of 19th-century scholarship.
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✨ CONDITION (EXCELLENT FOR AGE)
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This 134-year-old book has survived beautifully:
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Leather binding is clean, supple and unfaded, with minimal surface wear.
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Gilt edges remain bright and reflective.
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Marbled endpapers are intact and original.
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Pages are clean with only light, expected foxing on a few edges.
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Binding remains firm and sound without cracks or separation.
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Engraved portrait is sharp; tissue guard has mild ghosting (normal for Victorian paper).
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No inscriptions, making this an even rarer example — most were given as presentation gifts and inscribed.
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Overall: Very Good to Excellent Antique Condition — ideal for collectors.
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🎁 PERFECT FOR COLLECTORS & GIFTING
This is a superb piece for:
Burns collectors
Victorian book lovers
Antique leather-bound library displays
Scotland enthusiasts
Burns Night celebrations (25 January)
Heritage-style home décor
Unique literary gifts
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The book’s rich red leather binding and gilt finishing make it a natural centrepiece on a desk, coffee table, or within a curated library collection.