Published in London in 1892 by Longmans, Green, and Co., Wonderful Nests by the Rev. J. G. Wood is a charming Victorian natural history title that focuses on one of the most fascinating parts of bird life: nest building. Adapted from Wood’s well-loved Homes Without Hands, it reads like a guided tour of nature’s most impressive “architects,” explaining how different species build, hide, and protect their nests using everything from grasses and reeds to mud and carefully chosen fibers. It is genuinely fun to flip through, and the included illustrations make it an easy book to fall into whether you are a bird lover, a collector of classic British natural history, or simply someone who wants a piece that looks as good as it reads.
This copy is especially collectible because it was custom bound as a Warwick School presentation or prize-style book, featuring a bold gilt crest on the cover that reads “Warwick School, Founded 1546.” The deep blue leather binding, ornate gilt border, and richly decorated spine with a red title label give it serious shelf presence. Inside, the marbled endpapers are vibrant and decorative, and the book contains 30 illustrations, making it a standout for styling libraries, studies, and curated shelves with a true heritage feel.
Details
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Language: English
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Title: Wonderful Nests, from “Homes Without Hands”
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Author: Rev. J. G. Wood, M.A., F.L.S., etc.
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Editor: Not specified
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Publisher: Longmans, Green, and Co.
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Place of Publication: London
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Publication Date: 1892
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Edition/Series: Extracted from Homes Without Hands
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Volume: Single volume
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Binding: Dark blue full leather prize style binding with gilt border and gilt Warwick School crest, gilt-tooled spine with red title label, marbled endpapers
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Features: Decorative gilt school crest, ornate gilt spine tooling, marbled endpapers, bookseller or stationer label for T. T. Cooke & Son of Warwick
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Illustrations/Plates: With 30 illustrations
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Provenance: Warwick School binding with Warwick bookseller or stationer label indicating presentation or school distribution
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Dimensions: 7.25" H x 5" W x 1" D
Condition:
The binding is tight with sound hinges and no splitting; the leather shows only faint scuffing and minimal darkening at the spine head, and the gilt remains crisp. Marbled endpapers are bright with only trivial foxing, and the gilt edges retain full sheen. The textblock is square and the plates are clean, though the first few leaves bear light offsetting where the inscription appears. There are no tears, no losses, and only occasional, unobtrusive spots of age-tone to the margins.
