A wonderfully evocative vintage Ward, Lock & Co. guide to the Channel Islands, covering Jersey, Guernsey, Sark, Alderney, the French coast and the smaller islands, with maps, plans and illustrations throughout.

This is the revised nineteenth edition of the publisher’s Pictorial and Descriptive Guide to the Channel Islands, bound in its original faded coral-pink cloth with black printed decoration. Inside, the title page promises “seventy illustrations”, alongside maps of the islands and practical plans intended for the early 20th-century traveller. Particularly lovely are the surviving fold-out maps tucked into the volume.

Old travel guides have a charm all their own. Beyond their decorative appeal, they capture a particular moment in the history of a place, recording how visitors once arrived, what they were encouraged to see and how the islands presented themselves to the outside world. For a Channel Islands home, this feels especially personal.

The cloth has faded and softened beautifully with age, with rubbing and wear around the edges and spine. There is some age-related spotting and toning internally, all very much in keeping with an old guide that has been carried and used.

Publisher: Ward, Lock & Co., Limited, London

Edition: Nineteenth edition, revised

Subject: Channel Islands, including Jersey, Guernsey, Sark and Alderney

Binding: Original illustrated cloth

Contents: Maps, plans and numerous illustrations

Condition: Good vintage condition with fading, rubbing and general wear to the binding, plus age-related toning and spotting internally. Fold-out material shows expected wear from use. Please refer closely to the photographs.