Antique Catholic Family Bible — Haydock Douay-Rheims, P.F. Collier, c. 1880s
Offered is an impressive Victorian-era Catholic Family Bible, published in New York by P.F. Collier and featuring the historic Douay-Rheims translation with the extensive commentary of Rev. George Haydock.
Dating to approximately the 1880s, this substantial Deluxe Folio combines Scripture, Catholic theological commentary, historical reference material, fine steel-plate engravings, elaborate Victorian binding, and dedicated family-record sections.
The Douay-Rheims Bible has its origins in the English Catholic colleges at Douay and Rheims, with the New Testament appearing in 1582 and the Old Testament in 1609. The Haydock edition became particularly notable for its extensive critical, historical, and explanatory notes accompanying the biblical text.
PUBLICATION & ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY
Translation: Douay-Rheims
Publisher: P.F. Collier, New York
Dating: Circa 1880s
The volume contains the extensive theological commentary associated with Rev. George Haydock, along with revisions and corrections made under the superintendence of the Very Rev. Frederick Canon Oakeley, M.A.
The publication also carries ecclesiastical approbations associated with His Eminence the Cardinal Archbishop of Westminster and the Imprimatur of John Cardinal McCloskey, Archbishop of New York, providing additional historical context for the edition.
DISTINCTIVE FEATURES
ORIGINAL ORNATE METAL HARDWARE
The Bible retains its substantial original metal hardware, including multiple structural clasps and side hinges featuring ornate cross motifs. The hardware remains intact and functional, adding both visual character and structural support to the massive volume.
SCULPTED LEATHER BINDING
The heavy wooden boards are covered in genuine black leather with deeply embossed and heavily paneled architectural decoration characteristic of Victorian bookbinding.
The central cover features a deeply recessed cross motif, embellished with floral and geometric gilt decoration.
HUBBED SPINE
The spine is divided into five prominent structural panels, accented with gilt floral ornamentation and bold “HOLY BIBLE” lettering.
BRILLIANT GILT EDGES
The text block retains its original burnished gold gilt on all three page edges, creating a striking appearance when the volume is closed.
CATHOLIC FAMILY RECORDS
The formal printed Family Registry remains blank and beautifully preserved, including dedicated areas for recording marriages, births, and deaths.
The volume also contains a particularly fascinating piece of family history within its opening flyleaves.
Several blank flyleaves contain an extensive handwritten genealogical record documenting generations of the Malmburg, Linn, and Rufus families, including migrations from Sweden and Canada to New York, Nebraska, and other locations.
The handwritten entries record births, marriages, and deaths spanning from 1831 through the mid-20th century.
This handwritten genealogy gives the Bible a remarkable personal history and demonstrates how the volume continued to serve as a repository for family memory long after its publication.
HOLY MATRIMONY CERTIFICATE
The volume includes a beautifully preserved chromolithographic Holy Matrimony certificate, featuring vibrant Victorian-era color printing and unfilled spaces ready to record a future marriage.
Its bright colors and detailed decorative design provide an excellent example of the elaborate presentation often incorporated into Victorian Family Bibles.
STEEL-PLATE ENGRAVINGS & TYPOGRAPHY
The Bible contains numerous full-page steel-plate engravings depicting biblical scenes and religious subjects.
Among the illustrated subjects are scenes including Ecce Homo and The Descent from the Cross, with the plates displaying fine engraved line work and strong tonal contrast.
The volume also contains historically significant theological prefaces and introductory material, including “On the Office of the Church in Relation to the Holy Scriptures,” presented with elaborate Victorian typography and decorative drop-cap initials.
CONDITION
The exterior is in very good antique condition, displaying honest age-related shelf wear, scuffing, and wear along portions of the leather edges, spine hubs, and corners consistent with a substantial 19th-century volume.
The binding remains firm and structurally secure, with the substantial boards firmly attached and the original metal hardware intact and functional.
The interior text block is complete, with the pages remaining firmly secured to the binding. The paper is notably clean and supple for a Bible of this age, with bright pages and well-preserved margins.
The printed Family Registry remains clean and unused, while the handwritten genealogy on the opening flyleaves provides an important layer of historical provenance.
Please examine all photographs carefully. The photographs form an important part of the condition description and provide a detailed view of the binding, hardware, pages, artwork, family records, and handwritten genealogy.
PHYSICAL SPECIFICATIONS
Height: Approximately 14 inches
Width: Approximately 11 inches
Thickness: Approximately 4 inches
Format: Heavy Deluxe Folio
Weight: Approximately 12–15 lbs.
A REMARKABLE CATHOLIC FAMILY BIBLE
This substantial Douay-Rheims Family Bible brings together Catholic biblical tradition, Victorian craftsmanship, fine engraved artwork, family history, and 19th-century publishing history in one imposing volume.
Its elaborate sculpted leather binding, original metal hardware, brilliant gilt edges, steel-plate engravings, preserved Family Registry, and extensive handwritten genealogy make it an especially compelling historical artifact.
An excellent addition to a collection of antique Catholic Bibles, Douay-Rheims Bibles, Victorian books, Family Bibles, antiquarian books, religious history, or historical manuscripts, or a distinctive centerpiece for a historic home library.
INQUIRIES
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Collection Reference: AS-1009
Every page has a story. Every story deserves to be preserved.
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