Publishing Appraisal

The Holy Bible, King James Version, Self-Pronouncing Edition (World Publishing Company)

This is a vintage edition of the Holy Bible containing both the Old and New Testaments, published by the World Publishing Company of Cleveland and New York. The title page identifies it as a 'Self-Pronouncing Edition,' a feature designed to help readers with the phonetic pronunciation of proper names through syllable division and vowel markings. The text is the Authorized King James Version, based on the 1611 edition. The book features a black, likely imitation leather or flexible bonded leather binding with overlapping edges (yapp style). The page edges are finished with a red stained or 'red-under-gold' effect, though the gilding appears faded or absent in the visible edges. Physically, the paper shows significant age-related toning, turning a creamy off-white or yellowish hue common in mid-20th-century mass-market religious publications. There is visible wear to the cover’s edges and corners, and a notable reddish stain or liquid damage mark is seen at the bottom edge of the title page. The binding shows signs of separation at the hinge where the cover meets the text block. Typical of World Publishing Company editions from the 1940s to the 1960s, it represents a utilitarian rather than luxury production, aimed at personal study or family use. There are no immediate signs of a family record section in this view, but the small-to-medium octavo format suggests a portable 'hand bible' size.