The Penny Pictorial Magazine, 3 bound volumes of issues, 1899-1900

The Penny Pictorial Magazine, 3 bound volumes of issues, 1899-1900.

The Penny Pictorial Magazine was sold weekly and its one penny price tag was designed to bring in as many readers as possible, including the working classes. It carried a wide range of factual articles as well as fiction, all illustrated in every spread - mainly photographs, but also through illustrations. Surviving issues are relatively uncommon nowadays, making this 3 volume set an interesting collection, especially starting at the very first issue.

Published by The Penny Pictorial Magazine, 1899-1900.

A fair to good set of red cloth hardbacks in the original Publisher's binding, with black and gilt blind embossed cover design. Covers are worn and bumped, with some give in the spine and binding overally is on the weak side, especially to Volume I which has endpapers split to webbing at inner hinge. Covers look a bit tired.

Text is generally good, with some faults. There are some missing pages as the issues have been bound without their outer covers. There is also the occasional frayed or ragged edge, and there is age toning to paper. Pages are also trimmed tight to the text in places.

Despite any faults, these issues provide an interesting snapshot on Victorian published entertainment, and uncommon today. The nature of a Penny magazine meant many copies would be discarded.

Text in English.

Volume I: Runs from Issue No. 1, week ending June 10, 1899, to No. 13, Week ending September 1, 1899. p. 1-632pp;

Volume II: Runs from Issue No. 14, week ending September 8, 1899 (though first 2 leaves missing), to No. 26, Week ending December 2, 1899. p. 5-624pp;

Volume III: Runs from Issue No. 27, week ending December 9, 1899, to No. 39, Week ending March 3, 1900. p. 1-632pp.

Dimensions: Each volume approximately 225mm  x 164mm x 31mm.

Weight: Approximately 2.5kg (the set - unpacked).