19th Century World Travel! Prose Writings of Bayard Taylor - Set of 5, 1865-1868, G P Putnam New York, Antique Books, Half Leather, Marbled Edges

A remarkable collection of five antique volumes from the Prose Writings of Bayard Taylor, published in New York by G. P. Putnam and Son during the 1860s. Bayard Taylor (1825–1878) was an American poet, author, journalist, traveler, and diplomat whose extensive travels provided the inspiration for many of his best-known works. His writing brought firsthand accounts of Europe, Africa, and American life to a nineteenth-century readership, and Views A-Foot, his first major travel book, established him as a recognized man of letters.

The collection includes Views A-Foot; or, Europe Seen with Knapsack and Staff (1868), Taylor’s celebrated account of his youthful walking tour through Europe; A Journey to Central Africa; or, Life and Landscapes from Egypt to the Negro Kingdoms of the White Nile (1867), based on his travels through Egypt and toward the White Nile; At Home and Abroad: A Sketch-Book of Life, Scenery, and Men (1866), a wide-ranging collection of travel observations, landscapes, people, and experiences; John Godfrey’s Fortunes; Related by Himself: A Story of American Life (1865), one of Taylor’s works of fiction; and Hannah Thurston: A Story of American Life (1867), another novel exploring American society and character.

These travel volumes offer an intriguing window into nineteenth-century exploration and travel writing. The volumes measure 5.25 x 7.25” and each contain more than 500 pages. They feature half-leather covers and marbled page edges. All have excellent interior condition, while the covers and spine details show wear consistent with their considerable age. Overall, they remain in remarkable condition for books dating from the 1860s.