The Martins of Cro' Martin by Charles Lever (1873 Edition)

This item is a nineteenth-century antiquarian book titled 'The Martins of Cro' Martin' written by the prolific Irish novelist Charles Lever. The image shows a well-preserved title page indicating this is a 'New Edition' published in London by Chapman and Hall, 193, Piccadilly, in the year 1873. The book features forty illustrations, likely engravings standard for Victorian literary works. The paper exhibits a light cream or off-white tone consistent with late 19th-century wood-pulp or rag paper compositions. The typography is a classic black serif font, varying in weight and size to emphasize the title and author. Notably, the 'New Edition' marking suggests it is not a first edition (which was published in 1856), but rather a collectible Victorian reprint. The page appears relatively clean with minimal foxing or spotting visible in the central area, though there is slight darkening along the edges of the binding. There are no immediate signs of significant water damage or structural tearing on the visible page. The binding, though mostly obscured, shows a yellowish-green tint along the inner gutter, hinting at its construction material. This work is representative of Victorian-era serialized fiction collected into volume form, showcasing the high-quality letterpress printing of the London publishing house Chapman and Hall during this period.