Genoa The Superb. The City of Columbus
Boston: Estes and Lauriat, 1892. First Edition, First Printing. Hardcover.
A Handsome Gilded-Age Celebration of Genoa — Illustrated with 19 Tissue-Guarded Plates
Virginia W. Johnson’s Genoa the Superb is one of the more attractive American travel books on Italy published in the late 19th century, blending historical narrative, architectural appreciation, maritime heritage, and literary reflection.
White cloth over beveled boards stamped in gilt, blue, and red with armorial motif; spine gilt and blue; top edge gilt; untrimmed. 8.25 inches tall; 292 pages with index. Illustrated with 19 red-lettered tissue-guarded plates from photographs.
Bindings tight and square; text clean with light, even toning. Moderate shelf wear with offsetting on rear board; first blank with closed tear from original unopened page; gilt top edge softened. A solid and visually appealing First Edition.
An American expatriate living primarily in Florence, Johnson wrote with an uncommon depth of cultural knowledge; her works on Italy are valued by collectors for their elegant presentation and informed, affectionate perspective on Italian history and art. This 1892 First Edition—printed on laid paper and decorated in gilt, blue, and red—embodies the refined bookmaking of Estes & Lauriat’s Gilded-Age travel series.
Johnson, born into the distinguished Sewall family and distantly related to Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, spent most of her adult life in Italy. Her writing displays both literary sensitivity and a strong grounding in Italian history, making this a notable contribution to women’s travel literature of the era.
Subjects: Genoa History & Architecture; Virginia W. Johnson; Tissue-Guarded Photogravure Plates; American Expatriate Authors; Italy—Art & Literature; Estes & Lauriat Gift Books, Italian Travel; Gilded-Age Illustrated Books; Women’s Travel Writing; 19th-Century Cultural History
Item #21331
Price: $85.00
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