The Prince of the House of David Value Guide

This late 19th-century edition of The Prince of the House of David is a prime example of the A.L. Burt 'Home Library' series, which brought Reverend J.H. Ingraham's 1855 bestseller to the American middle class. The epistolary novel remains a significant piece of religious fiction, capturing the life of Christ through the eyes of a Jewish maiden in Jerusalem.

What affects the value of The Prince of the House of David?

• The preservation of the gold leaf lettering and decorative elements on the cloth cover.
• The presence of foxing or yellowing on the paper pages, which is common for 1890-1900 materials.
• The structural integrity of the book board and binding, as these mass-produced editions often suffer from brittle spines.
• Completeness of the text, specifically ensuring all letters in the epistolary sequence are intact.

How to Identify The Prince of the House of David?

• Check the spine and cover for the distinct A.L. Burt 'Home Library' series branding and decorative cloth binding.
• Verify the author's name, J.H. Ingraham, and the epistolary format consisting of letters written from Jerusalem.
• Look for the gold leaf detailing on the spine, typical of late 19th-century American hardcover manufacturing.
• Confirm the publisher's imprint 'A.L. Burt Company, New York' on the title page.

History of The Prince of the House of David

Written by Reverend J.H. Ingraham and first published in 1855, this novel is composed of letters from a Jewish maiden in Jerusalem during the time of Christ. It became a massive bestseller in the 19th century, leading to numerous reprint series like A.L. Burt's 'Home Library' which aimed to provide classic literature to the growing American middle class.