1897 British Butterflies and Moths Natural History Cloth Book

A handsome late Victorian natural history volume with a gilt butterfly on the front board and twelve colored plates inside, Butterflies and Moths (British) was designed for readers who wanted to identify and better understand the insects around them. Written by W. Furneaux, this 1897 New Edition belongs to the popular Out-Door World Library, a series created to bring field observation and nature study to a broad audience. Books like this were part of a wider Victorian enthusiasm for collecting, classifying, and studying the natural world, and this title captures that moment beautifully.

This copy has strong shelf appeal with its rich red cloth binding, gilt lettering, and central butterfly device. Inside, the colored plates and numerous text illustrations give it both visual interest and practical use, making it appealing to collectors of entomology, natural history, and decorative Victorian books. It works equally well as a readable antique science title and as a display piece for someone drawn to insects, natural observation, or 19th century illustrated books.

[d]Author | W. Furneaux [d]Title | Butterflies and Moths [d]Publisher | Longmans, Green, and Co. [d]Date | 1897 (New Edition) [d]Series | The Out-Door World Library [d]Binding | Red publisher's cloth with gilt butterfly decoration and gilt spine lettering [d]Illustrations | Twelve colored plates plus numerous text illustrations [d]Dimensions | 8 in H x 5.75 in W x 1.25 in D [d]Origin | London, New York and Bombay

[condition] The red cloth shows visible rubbing and general shelf wear consistent with a working copy of this age, heaviest at the spine and corners. There is fraying and loss at the head of the spine, with additional rubbing at the tail and along the extremities. The gilt decoration and spine lettering remain legible and visible throughout. The interior shows scattered foxing and age toning, most notable on the title page and preliminary leaves, typical for paper of this period and not unexpected in a volume nearly 130 years old. Plates are present and complete. A solid antique copy with honest wear, still attractive on the shelf and very desirable for its decorative binding and illustrated natural history content.