Westminster By Sir Walter Besant (1895) | Illustrated First Edition

By Sir Walter Besant, M.A., F.S.A.

Published 1895 (First American edition)
Frederick A. Stokes Company, Publisher/New York

A richly illustrated 1895 edition of Westminster by Sir Walter Besant, offering a sweeping historical and architectural portrait of one of London’s most storied districts. This volume, published by Frederick A. Stokes Company (New York), is part of Besant’s celebrated series on London and its boroughs.

Bound in textured dark green cloth with gilt titling and a gilt heraldic shield on the front cover, the book includes over 130 engravings by William Patten and others. Besant traces the origins, cultural legacy, and major landmarks of Westminster—exploring its Abbey, palaces, city streets, and public life in compelling narrative form.

Original green cloth. Gilt top edges. Light wear to boards. Binding tight. 398pp. Illustrated with   maps, architectural details, and historical scenes (e.g., the Bayeux Tapestry, vaults, city views. Minor shelf wear to corners and edges. Gilt remains bright. Binding tight; pages clean. 398pp.
 

Chapters Include:
The Beginnings
The King’s Palace of Westminster
The Abbey (in three parts)
Sanctuary
At the Sign of the Red Pale
The Vanished Palace
The City
The Streets and the People
Appendix: The Court of Charles II

Condition: Very Good

Size: 5 1/2” x 8 1/4”

A well-preserved example of a visually engaging and historically significant work.