Books

first edition 8vo. viii, 292pp., frontispiece map plate printed in grey and three other colours, original rust brown cloth lettered in gilt on spine, small capital 'R' shape (presumably Rutherford's initial - see below) cut out of the blank top margin of the title page, small burn hole in blank upper margin of leaf O2, light brown tea? stain (of varying extent) running into the upper outer corner of the last few gatherings (affecting blank marginal areas only except in four leaves where it just touches the page number or text), sometime rebacked with the original spine relaid, new end papers. Signed and dated in either pen and pencil on half title, dedication leaf and on the top margin of first page of text by R. J. Younger (of 15 Carlton Ter., Edinburgh) in Dec 1883, another early owner's name (Rutherford) stamped on half-title. Two thousand copies of the first edition were printed and issued between 14th Nov. and 11th Dec. 1883 in four bindings (rust brown, green, grey, or…

Treasure Island is an adventure novel by Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson, narrating a tale of 'buccaneers and buried gold.' It was originally serialized in the children's magazine Young Folks between 1881 and 1882 under the title 'Treasure Island or, the mutiny of the Hispaniola', with Stevenson adopting the pseudonym Captain George North. Traditionally considered a coming-of-age story, it is an adventure tale known for its atmosphere, characters, and action. It is also noted as a wily critique of the ambiguity of morality—as seen in Long John Silver—unusual for children's literature. It is one of the most frequently dramatized of all novels. The influence of Treasure Island on popular perceptions of pirates is enormous, including such elements as treasure maps marked with an 'X', schooners, the Black Spot, tropical islands, and one-legged seamen bearing parrots on their shoulders.

Identifiable by the publisher’s catalogue dated '5G. 7.83' and '7.83' at the end of the volume, indicating the date of the first publication in July 1883.