Arthur Penrhyn Stanley, 1866

Updated August 18, 2026

This auction ended on August 22, 2026. See upcoming auctions from Big Shanty Auction.

Lot number	242
Estimate	100.00 - 200.00 USD
Auction	AUGUST AUCTION
Date	August 22, 2026 at 12:00 PM EDT
Auction house	Big Shanty Auction
Location	Marietta, Georgia

A handsome two-volume Victorian theological set by Arthur Penrhyn Stanley (1815–1881), Dean of Westminster, comprising Lectures on the History of the Jewish Church, Part I: Abraham to Samuel and Part II: Samuel to the Captivity, both published in London by John Murray, Albemarle Street, in 1866. The first volume is identified on the title page as the Fourth Edition and the second as the Second Edition. Both are presented in particularly attractive full brown leather bindings richly decorated in gilt, with elaborate foliate tooling across the spines, gilt rules, contrasting red and dark leather title and volume labels, and circular gilt-stamped institutional or ownership devices reading “King’s College London” at the foot of each spine; the upper boards are likewise decorated with gilt borders and a central gilt crest. Stanley’s influential lectures explore the development of ancient Israelite history and religion and were originally delivered during his tenure as Professor of Ecclesiastical History at Oxford. Comparable nineteenth-century editions are commonly encountered in simpler cloth or later bindings, making the elaborate matching leather presentation of this pair especially decorative. The bindings retain strong visual presence with rubbing, scuffing, edge and corner wear, surface abrasions, minor losses and age-related cracking to the leather consistent with use and age; interiors appear generally clean and well preserved from the photographs, with expected scattered toning and occasional foxing. A substantial and visually appealing scholarly set suitable for a library, theological collection, or decorative book collection. Contemporary examples of Stanley’s work are documented in both cloth and leather bindings, with surviving multi-volume sets varying considerably according to completeness and binding quality.

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