Lot 87
Highly collectible late-19th-century salesman's sample (also known as a "prospectus" or "dummy" book) for the New Devotional and Practical Polygot Family Bible (Superfine Edition), jointly issued by the National Publishing Co. and Jones Brothers & Co. around the 1870s or 1880s Joshua R. Jones founded the National Publishing Company in Philadelphia. He later partnered with family members to expand the "Jones family publishing empire," creating Jones Brothers & Co. to handle massive regional distribution across Chicago, Cincinnati, and St. Louis. Anatomy of the Book: Unlike a standard full-size Bible, a salesman sample is much thinner and contains a "best of" compilation of the final book. It features sample scripture text, a small selection of the 1,200+ engravings, and snippets of reference tools like Dr. William Smith's Dictionary of the Bible. Salesman-Specific Features: The most valuable attributes for collectors are found at the ends of the book. Samples typically feature different leather spine bindings glued to the inside covers to let customers choose their preferred luxury tier. They also contain blank subscriber tracking pages at the back where the salesman would write down names, addresses, and chosen styles of local buyers. The term Polyglot historically refers to Bibles that print scriptural text in multiple languages side-by-side. On the inside front or back covers, you will find alternating fragments of tooled Moroccan leather and gilt-cloth spines. These allowed buyers to choose between a standard edition or the ultra-premium "Superfine" gold-leaf presentation. While early scholarly Polyglots featured Hebrew, Greek, and Latin, 19th-century American family versions used the term to denote comprehensive marginal references, comparative translations, and unified cross-references alongside the King James text to appeal to a broad, multi-denominational audience. Please ask specific questions on details, condition, and shipping prior to bidding, ALL ITEMS ARE SOLD AS IS, and the bidder will be responsible for payment. We box and ship what we can to keep costs low, and use USPS and UPS. Large items, extremely fragile, and high value items will be packed by UPS. Quotes available on request
- Dimensions: 10" x 12.25"
- Condition: Fair - Good Condition with no missing or torn pages. the front hinge is cracked
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| From: | To: | Increments: |
|---|---|---|
| $0 | $49 | $5 |
| $50 | $99 | $5 |
| $100 | $199 | $10 |
| $200 | $499 | $25 |
| $500 | $999 | $50 |
| $1,000 | $2,999 | $100 |
| $3,000 | $9,999 | $250 |
| $10,000 + | $500 |