#giftbooks

This time of year is gift-giving season, and around here that means gift books!

Literary annuals embellished with lots of illustrations and done up in fancy bindings, gift books were all the rage between the 1820s-1850s. They were typically published towards the end of the year, just in time for the holidays.

This edition of the Token for 1830 is bound in purple moiré silk, and the title simply and elegantly stamped in gold on the spine.

Cover: The gift for all seasons. New York : D. Appleton and Company, 1853

Valentine's Day is right around the corner, and these little cherubs would like to remind you that books always make excellent gifts.

In the spirit of the season, we are sharing these delightful covers from a few editions of Christmas Blossoms, a juvenile gift annual which was published from 1847-1854.

The cover decoration evolved over the years, along with the stories inside, though you can probably spot some common features among them.  Read more about Christmas Blossoms and gift books on our blog. 

A recent addition to our ever-growing collection of 19th century American gift books is this 1829 edition of "El Aquinaldo," the first Spanish language gift book printed in the U.S.

It's publication signaled a change in Spanish language printing in the U.S. from primarily textbooks and political tracts to luxury and literary works, reflecting the growing market of Hispanic elite in Philadelphia.