Only Copy Available for Sale Worldwide

Up for sale is a genuine 1893 first edition of Baron Trump’s Marvellous Underground Journey by Ingersoll Lockwood, illustrated by Charles Howard Johnson, and published by Lee & Shepard, Boston. Bound in its original sage-green pictorial cloth with gilt spine titles, this is one of the most sought-after and enigmatic children’s fantasy novels of the late 19th century.

✨ Key Features

Author: Ingersoll Lockwood

Illustrator: Charles Howard Johnson

Publisher: Lee & Shepard, Boston

Year: 1893 (First Edition / First Printing)

Binding: Original decorative green cloth with gilt titles

Illustrations: All plates and frontispiece present

Condition: Very Good minus (see notes below)

📖 Condition Notes

Boards: Original decorative cloth with only light corner/edge wear. Gilt spine lettering still legible.

Spine Ends: Slight rubbing, consistent with age (132 years).

Interior: Clean pages, mild toning typical of period paper. No major staining, writing, or bookplates noted.

Binding: Tight overall; hinges show light stress but remain solid.

Illustrations: All Johnson illustrations present and sharp.

💎 Rarity & Value

Extremely scarce: no other original 1893 first edition copies are currently available for sale online (AbeBooks, eBay, or auction catalogues).

Auction benchmarks: Comparable sales have achieved $5,000–$15,000+ depending on condition, with institutional holdings dominating availability.

Collector appeal: Victorian children’s fantasy alongside Lewis Carroll and early Baum, with significantly lower survival rates.

Cultural Significance

Lockwood’s “Baron Trump” series has attracted worldwide attention for its uncanny cultural echoes. This book, Baron Trump’s Marvellous Underground Journey (1893), introduces a boy named Trump who embarks on adventurous journeys guided by unusual forces. These curious details have led modern readers to describe the books as “prophetic” in tone, driving demand not only among rare book collectors but also among cultural historians, political collectors, and investors.

This makes the book not just a rarity of 19th-century fantasy literature, but also a 21st-century cultural phenomenon.

🚚 Shipping & Assurance

Ships with archival protection, double-boxed and fully insured.

Signature required on delivery.

Handling time: 1 business day.

💰 Price & Offers

Buy It Now: $12,500

Best Offers: Considered (reasonable offers welcome; low offers auto-declined).

This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to acquire a true first edition of one of the rarest and most discussed 19th-century children’s books. With zero competing copies on the market, this example sets its own value.