London: John C. Nimmo Ltd
1895. Octavo (24 cm). Bound in full polished calf by Riviere & Son, with a richly gilt spine in six compartments, raised bands, and gilt dentelle borders. The boards display a striking tree-calf figure of fine symmetry. All edges gilt, with marbled endpapers and matching marbled fore-edges.
This late nineteenth-century edition of The Pilgrim’s Progress from This World to That Which Is to Come was published by John C. Nimmo and illustrated with etchings by William Strang. Bunyan’s allegory traces the journey of Christian from the City of Destruction to the Celestial City, a work that has shaped English spiritual and literary imagination since its first appearance in 1678. Strang’s plates lend a quiet solemnity to Bunyan’s prose, their etched light and shadow bringing a human realism to the book’s moral vision.
Riviere & Son were among the leading English binders of the Victorian period, known for their precision, proportion, and refinement of finish. Their bindings are recognised for their structural integrity and subdued elegance rather than ostentation. This example, with its even polish and restrained gilt work, represents the firm’s classic late nineteenth-century style.
The condition is excellent. The calf retains its lustre and depth of colour, the gilt is clear and unworn, and the binding remains tight. Internally the text is clean and the illustrations sharp in impression, showing only light toning.
A finely bound example of Bunyan’s enduring allegory, pairing William Strang’s evocative illustrations with the quiet mastery of Riviere & Son’s craft.
