VICTORIAN ADVENTURE • ILLUSTRATED TALES

Bynner, Edwin Lassetter (1842–1893)

The Chase of the Meteor and Other Stories [Illustrated First The Chase of the Meteor and Other Stories • Scientific Adventure]

Boston: D Lothrop Company, 1890. First Edition, First Printing.
A Meteor, a Chase, and the Thrill of the Unknown.

A first edition of The Chase of the Meteor and Other Stories, an illustrated late 19th-century collection blending adventure, scientific curiosity, and moral narrative. Issued by D. Lothrop during the height of American juvenile and popular fiction publishing, the volume reflects a period when exploration and natural phenomena shaped imaginative storytelling.

The title story and accompanying tales present encounters with the unknown—ranging from celestial events to remote settings—emphasizing ingenuity, observation, and character under pressure. The inclusion of full-page illustrations enhances the narrative appeal, placing the book within the visual tradition of late Victorian adventure literature intended for both instruction and entertainment.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Green cloth with two-color decorative stamping to front and spine. Octavo; 7.25 inches tall. Pagination: 9–103 pages. Illustrated with full-page plates.

CONDITION: Bindings are tight and secure. Text is clean; light, even age-toning. Moderate shelf handling wear with hand-soiling; boards and spine darkened. Small scuff to spine; light rubbing at corners and tips.

HISTORICAL CONTEXT / SIGNIFICANCE —
Published in 1890, the work belongs to a broader tradition of American and British adventure fiction that sought to engage younger readers through scientific curiosity and narrative excitement. D. Lothrop Company was a prominent publisher of juvenile and family literature, often combining illustration and accessible prose to reach a wide audience.

The collection presents a blend of speculative adventure and didactic fiction characteristic of the late 19th century. Bynner’s work reflects a literary moment in which science and storytelling intersected—astronomy, exploration, and natural forces serving as catalysts for narrative tension. The stories favor clarity of action and moral resolution, aligning with the era’s readership expectations while retaining imaginative scope.

SUBJECTS: Scientific curiosity, Exploration, Natural phenomena, Adventure stories, 19th-century fiction, Illustrated books, American publishing history, Victorian Fiction, Adventure Literature, Juvenile Literature

Item #20991

Price: $45.00