The Story & Significance
First published in 1870, Jules Verne’s Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea remains one of the most visionary works of the 19th century and a primary pillar of the "Voyages Extraordinaires." By introducing the high-tech Nautilus and the enigmatic Captain Nemo, Verne created a blueprint for the modern science fiction protagonist—the brilliant, isolated anti-hero. This 1888 printing by the Mercantile Publishing Co. represents a significant late-Victorian American edition, produced during the height of Verne’s popularity when his works were being serialized and bound for the expanding libraries of the industrial age.
Physical Description & Provenance
Edition: Antiquarian Edition (1888).
Publisher: Mercantile Publishing Co., New York.
Binding: Original brown pictorial cloth featuring intricate black and gilt-stamped nautical motifs on the front board and spine.
Condition Points: The volume is in Good condition for its age. The binding is remarkably intact and square. The front and back boards exhibit some light spotting, and there is an old marking to the front pastedown. While the corners show minor bumping and the spine is age-faded, the internal text block is surprisingly clean, supple, and free of the heavy foxing often found in 19th-century paper stocks.
Structural Note: The hinges remain firm, an important factor for these large Victorian volumes which often suffer from "shaken" or detached bindings.
The Story & Significance
First published in 1870, Jules Verne’s Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea remains one of the most visionary works of the 19th century and a primary pillar of the "Voyages Extraordinaires." By introducing the high-tech Nautilus and the enigmatic Captain Nemo, Verne created a blueprint for the modern science fiction protagonist—the brilliant, isolated anti-hero. This 1888 printing by the Mercantile Publishing Co. represents a significant late-Victorian American edition, produced during the height of Verne’s popularity when his works were being serialized and bound for the expanding libraries of the industrial age.
Physical Description & Provenance
Edition: Antiquarian Edition (1888).
Publisher: Mercantile Publishing Co., New York.
Binding: Original brown pictorial cloth featuring intricate black and gilt-stamped nautical motifs on the front board and spine.
Condition Points: The volume is in Good condition for its age. The binding is remarkably intact and square. The front and back boards exhibit some light spotting, and there is an old marking to the front pastedown. While the corners show minor bumping and the spine is age-faded, the internal text block is surprisingly clean, supple, and free of the heavy foxing often found in 19th-century paper stocks.
Structural Note: The hinges remain firm, an important factor for these large Victorian volumes which often suffer from "shaken" or detached bindings.
Image 1 of 11
Image 2 of 11
Image 3 of 11
Image 4 of 11
Image 5 of 11
Image 6 of 11
Image 7 of 11
Image 8 of 11
Image 9 of 11
Image 10 of 11
Image 11 of 11
