The Book of Gems — The Poets and Artists of Great Britain (1836)
Volumes I & II of the Original Groundbreaking Series (1836)
A beautifully bound pair from the celebrated Book of Gems series — the influential Victorian gift-book collection edited by Samuel Carter Hall. Published in 1836 by Saunders & Otley, London, these two volumes represent the first installments of what later became a landmark three-volume series that shaped literary taste throughout the 19th century.
Edited by S. C. Hall, one of Victorian England’s major literary figures, The Book of Gems blended poetry, short author biographies, and fine steel engravings into a single luxurious format. These volumes were designed as “parlor books” — cherished objects meant to be displayed, gifted, and collected.
This set is finely rebound in handsome green covers with ornate gilt tooling to the spine, marbled-style boards, and clean page edges. The craftsmanship reflects the Victorian commitment to literary presentation, turning books into keepsakes as beautiful as the poetry they contained.
The series itself was groundbreaking: it helped revive interest in earlier English poets, linked literature with high visual art, and established a new standard for illustrated literary anthologies during the golden age of Victorian publishing.
Today, The Book of Gems remains highly collectible for its aesthetic appeal, its engravings, and its cultural significance — and early volumes like these are especially sought after.
The Book of Gems — The Poets and Artists of Great Britain (1836)
Volumes I & II of the Original Groundbreaking Series (1836)
A beautifully bound pair from the celebrated Book of Gems series — the influential Victorian gift-book collection edited by Samuel Carter Hall. Published in 1836 by Saunders & Otley, London, these two volumes represent the first installments of what later became a landmark three-volume series that shaped literary taste throughout the 19th century.
Edited by S. C. Hall, one of Victorian England’s major literary figures, The Book of Gems blended poetry, short author biographies, and fine steel engravings into a single luxurious format. These volumes were designed as “parlor books” — cherished objects meant to be displayed, gifted, and collected.
This set is finely rebound in handsome green covers with ornate gilt tooling to the spine, marbled-style boards, and clean page edges. The craftsmanship reflects the Victorian commitment to literary presentation, turning books into keepsakes as beautiful as the poetry they contained.
The series itself was groundbreaking: it helped revive interest in earlier English poets, linked literature with high visual art, and established a new standard for illustrated literary anthologies during the golden age of Victorian publishing.
Today, The Book of Gems remains highly collectible for its aesthetic appeal, its engravings, and its cultural significance — and early volumes like these are especially sought after.