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A beautifully preserved Victorian children’s book filled with moral tales and reflections by “The Learned Blacksmith,” Elihu Burritt. This edition features a richly gilt pictorial cover and spine, with charming period typography and engravings throughout.
📖 Published: 1868 (first edition)
📏 Approx. 7” x 5” hardcover
✨ Condition: Very good antique condition with light edge wear and tight binding. A handwritten 1868 gift note adds authentic provenance.
A stunning example of 19th-century craftsmanship — perfect for collectors, libraries, or vintage bookshelf styling.
Author: Elihu Burritt
Publisher: Cassell, Petter, and Galpin (London & New York)
Date: 1868 (confirmed by the author’s dated preface — this is your publication year)
🧠 About the Book
Elihu Burritt (1810–1879) was known as “The Learned Blacksmith” — a self-taught American intellectual, reformer, and pacifist. This volume compiles his essays and moral tales for children, many first printed in English magazines. It’s part of the Victorian moral and educational literature movement, which emphasized character, thrift, and faith.
Cassell, Petter, & Galpin produced many books like this in the 1860s–70s, but Old Burchell’s Pocket is less common than their religious or travel titles.
🪶 Physical Details
Pictorial brown cloth binding with elaborate gilt cover and spine (highly collectible Victorian feature)
Beveled boards, gilt edges (check if edges have gold tint)
Condition (based on your photos):
Slight wear at corners and spine ends
Tight binding
Some interior aging but clean pages — very good for a 150+ year-old book
