Brown’s Self-Interpreting Family Bible by the Rev. John Brown, Illustrated, 1890

Brown’s Self-Interpreting Bible. The Holy Bible, Containing the Old and New Testaments,  According to the Authorized Versions. With an Introduction: Marginal References and Readings;  Explanatory Notes and Reflections. By the Rev. John Brown, of Haddington. And Many Thousand Additional Notes by the Rev. Henry Cooke, D.D., LL.D., President, Assembly’s College, Belfast. Re-Edited, with Considerable Additions by the Rev. J. L. Porter, D.D., LL.D., Professor of Biblical Criticism, Assembly’s College, Belfast. Illustrated by Historical Designs and Scenes from Bible Lands. London: The Gresham Publishing Company, circa 1880s. Large quarto, with original full leather carved and gilt tooled boards, all edges gilt, and metal clasps. Presented with a custom-made archival clamshell box with gilt tooling. Presented is a beautifully restored and exquisitely bound Brown’s Self-Interpreting Family Bible. Brown’s Self-Interpreting Family Bible was first published in 1778 in two volumes in Edinburgh. The Self-Interpreting Bible was Reverend Brown's most significant work and it remained in print well into the twentieth century. Although undated, this family bible was published by The Gresham Publishing Company, in London, circa 1880. Reverend John Brown (1722-1787) was a Scottish Minister of the Gospel at Haddington. He wrote numerous works on the bible, including The Dictionary of the Bible, A General History of the Christian Church, and Brown’s Self-Interpreting Family Bible, as seen here. The design of the Self-Interpreting Bible, Brown explained in the original preface, was “to present the labours of the best commentators in a manner that might best comport with the ability and leisure of the poorer and labouring part of mankind, and especially to render the oracles of God their own interpreter.” Thus, the work contains a thorough history, chronology, geography, and summary, as well as explanatory notes and reflections, on the Bible, both the Old and New Testaments. As this was printed as a “self-interpreting” bible, many of these notes occur in the margins, next to the pertaining scripture. This bible is further elucidated by upwards of eight thousand explanatory and critical notes by the Reverend Henry Cooke, D.D., LL.D., a minister of the Presbyterian Church and President of Assembly’s College in Belfast. It was further edited and notated by Reverend J. L. Porter, D.D., LL.D., a Professor of Biblical Criticism at Assembly’s College in Belfast. A publisher’s advertisement for Brown’s Self-Interpreting Family Bible was printed in the January-July 1880 issue of The American Bookseller journal. The advertisement claims, “Brown’s Self-Interpreting Bible is widely and most favorably known on both sides of the Atlantic. It is pre-eminently A Family Bible, suitable alike for all the members of the household and particularly Helpful in explaining difficult passages, and admirably adapted to promote a Devotional spirit. Also, its unusually Clear Type makes it an excellent Book for Pulpit use...

Collodi, Carlo. Pinocchio: The Story of a Puppet. Philadelphia and London: J. B. Lippincott, 1920. Illustrated by Maria L. Kirk. Deluxe Edition. In the publisher's original green cloth front board stamped with gilt titles and Pinocchio illustration, the original tan cloth spine lettered in gilt, rebacked in green cloth. With 14 color plates and numerous border illustrations and decoration throughout. Presented with a new archival slipcase. Presented is a charming English edition of Carlo Collodi’s children’s tale, Pinocchio: The Story of a Puppet. This book was published in Philadelphia and London by J. B. Lippincott, as a special "Deluxe Edition," in 1920. It features 14 full color plates by illustrator Maria Kirk and charming green borders and chapter decorations throughout the whole book. It is presented here in its original green cloth front board, stamped with gilt titles and Pinocchio illustration, the original tan cloth spine with gilt titles, newly rebacked in green cloth. The book is protected by a new custom archival slipcase with an inlay of Pinocchio in a forest. Collodi’s La Storia di un Burattino (trans: The Story of a Puppet) first appeared in serial form in the Italian weekly publication for children, Giornale per i bambini. The first installment was published on July 7, 1881 and continued for nearly four months and 15 chapters. Following the mischievous adventures of an animated marionette named Pinocchio, the original series was written as an educational tale of warning to Italian children, stressing the importance of morality, responsibility, and obedience to one’s parents and authority. In the original, serialized version, the flawed and irresponsible Pinocchio is penalized and hanged for his numerous poor decisions and faults of character at the end of Chapter 15. At the request of his editor and by the demand of his many readers, Collodi resumed his serialized story in February of 1882. In these later chapters, Chapters 16–36, the Fairy with Turquoise Hair rescues and revives Pinocchio and eventually transforms him into a real boy. Pinocchio acquires a deeper understanding of himself and his moral responsibilities, making the story more palatable for children. In February 1883, the story was published in Italy as a single book, illustrated by Enrico Mazzanti. It was a huge publishing success. The Adventures of Pinocchio is the world's third most translated book, after the Bible and The Little Prince. Pinocchio was first translated into English by Mary Alice Murray in 1892, whose translation was added to the widely circulated Everyman's Library in 1911. The first US edition was published in 1901, translated and illustrated by Walter S. Cramp and Charles Copeland...

1 Volume. John Brown, The Self-Interpreting Holy Bible. Bound in full black morocco with the covers and raised bands displaying gilt-tooled detailing. All edges gilt, gilt-tooled den...

1 Volume. Anon. The Holy Bible. Containing The Old & New Testaments. Bound in full brown morocco by Zaehnsdorf, all edges gilt, raised bands. Published: Oxford: The University Press,...