The Master of Ballantrae by Robert Louis Stevenson Value Guide

This Henry Altemus edition of The Master of Ballantrae represents a significant era of American book production between 1890 and 1920. Collectors prize these volumes for their decorative cloth bindings and their role in popularizing Stevenson's dark tale of the feuding Durie brothers and the Jacobite Rising.

What affects the value of The Master of Ballantrae by Robert Louis Stevenson?

• Condition of the cloth binding, specifically looking for fading on the spine or fraying at the corners.
• Presence and state of any internal illustrations or decorative endpapers unique to the Altemus series.
• The specific series year; earlier Altemus printings closer to the 1889 original publication often command higher prices.
• Overall structural integrity, including the tightness of the hinges and the absence of foxing on the pages.

How to Identify The Master of Ballantrae by Robert Louis Stevenson?

• Verify the 'Henry Altemus Company' imprint on the title page or spine, typically associated with Philadelphia.
• Check for the specific decorative cloth cover designs characteristic of Altemus's various series from 1890-1920.
• Confirm the subtitle 'A Winter's Tale' is present on the internal title page.
• Examine the binding materials for the period-correct combination of cloth-wrapped heavy board and high-acid paper.

History of The Master of Ballantrae by Robert Louis Stevenson

Robert Louis Stevenson's 'The Master of Ballantrae' is a captivating historical novel first serialized in Scribner's Magazine in 1888 and published as a book in 1889. It tells a dark tale of two Scottish brothers, James and Henry Durie, whose rivalry unfolds against the backdrop of the Jacobite Rising of 1745. The novel explores themes of family hatred, moral decay, and the destructive nature of obsession, set in a meticulously detailed historical period.