Cutting this wonderful item loose from my collection. It's an absolutely original 1864 Printing of The Confederate First Reader for Prose and Poetry. It is a Richmond imprint, which is always quite desirable. This book is in outstanding condition for its age and the binding is original, sound and dating to 1864. I've posted a number of photos that should be helpful to you in determining the condition in more exact terms. I am not, per se, an antiquarian bookseller...so my terminology may be imprecise. Every page of this book is present and intact.

 

Image 1 is the entire book with a great view of the cover. As you can see, there is some age toning and possible mold or slight water damage. Image 2 is the back cover, which names all the other Confederate Readers in the series. It would be a challenge but very rewarding to try and collect them all! Image 3 is a closeup of the publisher's name and date on the front cover. Image 4 is the inside cover with publishing date, title and so forth. Please note that there is some very old tape repair. I do not repair documents or relics as I am not a skilled expert in that area. You, the new owner of this rarity, will have to decide if this is best left alone or entrusted to a reputable conservator. Image 5 is quite important as it shows the condition and strength of the original binding. I see no evidence of this being rebound at any point. Image 6 is a closeup of the aforementioned antique tape repair. This is not another repair...it's the back side of the same one depicted in image 4. Photo 7 is just a nice close up of the title and subject matter on the front cover and #8 is the publisher's name and date of printing on the inside cover page.

 

As I said, I am not an antiquarian book dealer. BUT - I want you to buy with confidence. I give every customer a generous 30 day examination period! I'm not sure any other dealer does that. If you study this book and find yourself unhappy with it for ANY reason, ship it back to me and I will refund your money less my original shipping cost. I am that confident you will be pleased.