Victoriana By James Laver
Victoriana (First Edition Hardcover Release in Archival Protection)
The Definitive Collector's Guide to nineteenth-Century Art, Minor Crafts, and Period Curiosities
The Definitive Collector's Guide to nineteenth-Century Art, Minor Crafts, and Period Curiosities
Bibliographic Specifications
- Title: Victoriana
- Author: James Laver
- Publisher: Ward Lock Ltd, London / Melbourne
- Publication Date: 1973
- ISBN-10: 0706312791
- ISBN-13: 9780706312792
- Edition Details: First Edition, Standard Hardcover Release.
- Binding: Original publisher's premium cloth boards, spine lettered in gilt, with original pictorial dust jacket under an archival protective wrap.
- Physical Format: Octavo (8vo), 256 pages. Lavishly illustrated with an extensive, dedicated block of monochrome and full-colour photographic plates documenting genuine period trinkets, hallmark variants, and aesthetic artifacts.
- Language: English
Official Condition Report
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The Book: Very Good Plus (VG+)
o Exterior / Boards: The cloth boards are exceptionally flat, bright, square, and structurally well-preserved. Corners remain sharp with minimal storage friction. The spine is perfectly straight, tight, completely unbroken, and free of vertical creasing or structural lean.
o Interior: The text block is robustly bound, tight, and immaculately clean. Internal text pages and historical photograph sections are bright, white, and completely intact. Entirely free of standard user highlighting, previous owner gift inscriptions, library stamps, dealer pencil markings, or dog-ears. This copy has clearly been meticulously maintained and looked after.
o Special Protection: The book is safely preserved and protected within a fitted cellophane cover. -
The Dust Jacket: Very Good (VG)
o Description: Complete and bright, now beautifully stabilized and enhanced under its protective cellophane layer. Displays slight damage, incorporating some limited signs of perimeter wear, minor edge-creasing, and light shelf friction consistent with long-term storage of its 1973 vintage. Free of major chips or sun-faded spine bleaching.
Synopsis & Historical Value
Published in 1973, Victoriana is the seminal and highly regarded reference guide written by legendary fashion and cultural historian James Laver. Specially tailored to the sensibilities of serious antiquarian collectors, the book comprehensively covers every aspect of Victorian art, social pastimes, and decorative trinkets. Laver masterfully traces the grand evolution of taste from the twilight of the Regency era to the birth of Art Nouveau. Crucially, he places immense emphasis on the "minor arts" that truly defined the epoch—including handmade Valentine cards, tinsel pictures, papier-mâché furniture, music-box systems, and ornamental glass. Supported by a wealth of archival photographs and meticulously detailed captions, this rare first-edition hardcover serves as an indispensable tool showing collectors precisely what to look out for in the open market, making it an investment-grade volume for design archivists and antique enthusiasts alike.
Published in 1973, Victoriana is the seminal and highly regarded reference guide written by legendary fashion and cultural historian James Laver. Specially tailored to the sensibilities of serious antiquarian collectors, the book comprehensively covers every aspect of Victorian art, social pastimes, and decorative trinkets. Laver masterfully traces the grand evolution of taste from the twilight of the Regency era to the birth of Art Nouveau. Crucially, he places immense emphasis on the "minor arts" that truly defined the epoch—including handmade Valentine cards, tinsel pictures, papier-mâché furniture, music-box systems, and ornamental glass. Supported by a wealth of archival photographs and meticulously detailed captions, this rare first-edition hardcover serves as an indispensable tool showing collectors precisely what to look out for in the open market, making it an investment-grade volume for design archivists and antique enthusiasts alike.
Author Profile: James Laver
James Laver (1899–1975) was an exceptionally distinguished British fashion historian, art critic, novelist, and museum curator who served for decades as the Keeper of Prints and Drawings at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. Widely celebrated as the man who established the academic study of costume and social history as a rigorous scientific discipline, he formulated "Laver's Law"—a timeline tracking how society perceives clothing and decor over centuries. Renowned for balancing dense historical documentation with an exceptionally witty, accessible narrative pace, Laver authored numerous classic reference works, including Taste and Fashion, Style in Costume, and A Concise History of Costume. His literary collections remain highly sought after by global curators and antiquarian collectors for their unmatched authority on material culture.
James Laver (1899–1975) was an exceptionally distinguished British fashion historian, art critic, novelist, and museum curator who served for decades as the Keeper of Prints and Drawings at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. Widely celebrated as the man who established the academic study of costume and social history as a rigorous scientific discipline, he formulated "Laver's Law"—a timeline tracking how society perceives clothing and decor over centuries. Renowned for balancing dense historical documentation with an exceptionally witty, accessible narrative pace, Laver authored numerous classic reference works, including Taste and Fashion, Style in Costume, and A Concise History of Costume. His literary collections remain highly sought after by global curators and antiquarian collectors for their unmatched authority on material culture.
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