Physical description

Hard cover book, London a Pilgrimage
Author: William Blanchard Jerrold
Publisher: Grant & Co, 74-78 Turnmill St. London. EC.
Date: 1872
Morocco Olive hardcover with a damaged spine, lettering in gold with a title in a surrounded with a decorative panel.

Publication type

non-fiction

Inscriptions & markings

The label on the spine cover with typed text 914.2
Paste down front end paper has a sticker from Warrnambool Mechanics Institute and Free Library.
Front loose end paper has a stamp from Warrnambool Public Museum with a date stamp pf 28/8/99 (1899)
Also handwritten " Received from Mrs H Lindsay Miller Aug 28 1899"

Summary

London A Pilgrimage (1872) is one of the most celebrated, visually striking, and socially important illustrated books of the 19th century; as such, the work is a highly desirable piece of publishing history. The book offers a comprehensive, episodic portrait of Victorian London at the height of the British Empire. The prominent French artist Gustave Doré and English journalist William Blanchard Jerrold shared a fascination with urban life, combining their talents to create one of the 19th century's greatest collaborative works. They spent days exploring the metropolis together to capture the stark dualities of the city. Rather than focusing solely on the grand landmarks of the wealthy, the book famously juxtaposes the "sunlight and shadows" of London life. When Jerrold suggested a massive, joint exploration of London in 1869, it brought together two perfect skill sets: Jerrold provided the investigative journalistic grit and intimate knowledge of London’s social strata, while Doré provided the haunting, cinematic visual poetry through his illustrations.