1887 Great Game travel book | Signed by Lansdell | Silk Road + fold-out maps
A Rare Victorian Journey Through the Silk Road & Russo-Afghan Frontier
Presented by Artifex Spaces
Step into the heart of 19th-century Eurasia with this signed 1887 first edition of Through Central Asia—a rare, firsthand account of Silk Road culture, Russian imperial expansion, and Afghan frontier diplomacy during the height of The Great Game.
Penned by missionary-explorer Henry Lansdell, this richly illustrated volume blends geopolitical observation with ethnographic detail, complete with 74 engravings and fold-out maps that trace the contours of a region in flux.
Inscribed in 1910 by the author, this copy carries both historical voice and provenance—ideal for collectors of Victorian travel literature and political history.
📚 Collector Highlights
• First edition (1887), signed and inscribed by Lansdell (1910)
• Original blue cloth binding with gilt titling, reinforced spine
• 74 illustrations, including fold-out maps and cultural scenes
• A cornerstone narrative on Russian Asia, Afghan borderlands, and 19th-century diplomacy
• Provenance-rich: rare signature + exceptional preservation
🖋 About the Author
Henry Lansdell was a British missionary, explorer, and geographer whose travels in Russian-controlled Central Asia documented early ethnographic encounters, imperial tensions, and the spiritual topography of Eurasian cultures. His journals offered some of the earliest English-language perspectives on regions long shrouded in imperial secrecy.
📖 Book Details
• Title: Through Central Asia
• Author: Henry Lansdell, D.D.
• Publisher: Sampson Low, Marston, Searle & Rivington
• Publication Year: 1887
• Edition: First edition, signed and inscribed (1910)
• Binding: Original blue cloth, gilt titling, spine professionally reinforced
• Format: Octavo | Approx. 9.25" x 6.25"
• Illustrations: 74 engravings + fold-out maps
• Condition:
– Clean interior with mild foxing (typical of 19th-century paper)
– All illustrations and maps present
– Tight binding and preserved hinges
📦 Shipping & Care
• Free U.S. shipping
• Archival-safe packaging
• Ships within 1–2 business days
• Optional gift note available on request
“The traveler sees what he sees; the tourist sees what he has come to see.”
—G.K. Chesterton
“Central Asia is the heart of the world’s history.”
—Léon Cahun
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Do you ship internationally?
Currently, I ship within the United States only to keep things simple and sustainable.
That said, if you’re located internationally and see something you love, you’re welcome to reply to a Dispatch email or join the mailing list and send a note. I occasionally make exceptions for subscribers on a case-by-case basis.
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Do you ship internationally?
Currently, I ship within the United States only to keep things simple and sustainable.
That said, if you’re located internationally and see something you love, you’re welcome to reply to a Dispatch email or join the mailing list and send a note. I occasionally make exceptions for subscribers on a case-by-case basis.
✉️ Join here to stay in touch: artifexheirloom.myflodesk.com/join
Do you ship internationally?
Currently, I ship within the United States only to keep things simple and sustainable.
That said, if you’re located internationally and see something you love, you’re welcome to reply to a Dispatch email or join the mailing list and send a note. I occasionally make exceptions for subscribers on a case-by-case basis.
✉️ Join here to stay in touch: artifexheirloom.myflodesk.com/join