1679 / 1978 JOHN BUNYAN. Pilgrims Progress - Paradine Limited Edition Facsimile of 150 - Uncirculated.

It has been a long time since a true first edition of Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress has come to market. A third edition sold at Sotheby's now 7 years ago for over $100,000.00. A first edition if offered today would likely fetch in the $300,000-$500,000 range, though it is the third that contains the final "additions" that compose the complete work we know today, and thus the edition chosen here to memorialize Bunyan's masterpiece. 

Produced by David Paradine at extravagant cost to celebrate the 300 year anniversary of the first edition, he partnered with printer Kingprint Ltd and one of the finest binderies in England, David P. Gray of Cambridge. Together they created a special, limited edition of just 150 copies.

Printed on hand-laid paper, hand-sewn, beautifully gilt foredges in 24 carat gold, then bound in deep green calf with raised bands, gilt dentils, and hand-dyed endpapers. It is the finest facsimile of the first complete edition of Bunyan's "immortal tale" ever produced or available. 

We purchase these whenever we can. They're absolutely lovely productions. This one is special though. Or we should say, these . . . TEN . . . are special. Just recently we were offered ten examples from the much desired Bunyan edition of just 150 . . . each completely uncirculated, crisp and clean as the day they were produced, and never opened. They were in the backroom inventory of a long closed book dealer in Bedford. He presumably purchased them in 1978 and the business became defunct shortly thereafter. The warehouse holding his inventory was recently sold, and behold!

Each of our ten are the same deep green version and is essentially identical to the one shown in the photographs.

Gray apparently bound the 150 in at least two variants [green and black]. We have only ever handled the black variant previous to this grouping. 

For comparison, Paradine did a version of the Tyndale New Testament in a similar edition that regularly sells for $2,000 - $3,000 and other limited editions issued fetch $3,000 - $5,000 and more. We offer these at the price we normally ask for used examples. These are truly special volumes offered at a very reasonable price. The last second-hand copy we offered was at the same price as offered below. 

Bunyan, John. The Pilgrim's Progress from this World to that which is to Come, Delivered Under the Similitude of a Dream wherein is Discovered the Manner of His Setting Out, His Dangerous Journey, and Safe Arrival at the Desired Countrey. Third Edition with Additions [The First Complete Edition]. London. Printed for Nath. Ponder at the Peacock in the Poultrey Near Cornhill. 1679. Ltd. Ed. Facsimile, 1978.  

As new in original slip cases, never opened or used. These are as new and fine as it is possible to obtain. A perfect collector example, treasured family use copy, or gift. We have not photographed the contents in order to allow the binding to retain its "as new" status.