Steamboat Gothic, The Royal Box, and Rampole Place make up this three book 1950s hardcover lot, with two novels by Frances Parkinson Keyes and one by Isabella Holt, all in Book Club Editions with dust jackets.
Steamboat Gothic and Rampole Place are clean, readable copies with attractive jackets, while The Royal Box has a loose back board and its dust jacket is glued to the front board even though the jacket itself presents well.
This set brings together three mid century historical novels with period jacket artwork, decorative details, and settings suited to a reader who enjoys older family sagas and historical fiction.
Details
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Item: Lot of three vintage hardcover books with dust jackets
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Title: Steamboat Gothic; The Royal Box; Rampole Place
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Author: Frances Parkinson Keyes; Isabella Holt
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Illustrator: Steamboat Gothic: Doris Beer; The Royal Box: Belinda Crossley; Rampole Place: Not confirmed from photos
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Publisher: Steamboat Gothic and The Royal Box: Julian Messner, Inc.; Rampole Place: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, Inc.
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Publication Year: Steamboat Gothic: 1952; The Royal Box: 1954; Rampole Place: 1952
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Edition and Printing: All three are Book Club Editions. Individual printings not confirmed from photos
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Format and Binding: Three hardcover books with cloth boards
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Dust Jacket: Dust jacket present on all three
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Pages: Steamboat Gothic: 562; The Royal Box: 303; Rampole Place: 344
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Genre: Historical fiction
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Language: English
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ISBN: No ISBN
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Dimensions: Steamboat Gothic: 8.5 x 6 x 2 inches; The Royal Box: 8.5 x 6 x 1 inch; Rampole Place: 8.5 x 6 x 1 inch
Condition Grade: Good
Positives
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Graded Good: The lot remains complete and readable, with all three illustrated dust jackets present and the main condition issue limited to The Royal Box binding.
- Steamboat Gothic has clean pages with no marks noted, and its dust jacket presents with strong color and little visible wear.
- Steamboat Gothic credits Doris Beer for the jacket, end papers, and decorations.
- The Royal Box has 303 pages that remain easy to read, and its illustrated jacket retains strong color.
- The Royal Box credits Belinda Crossley for the jacket and decorations.
- Rampole Place has clean, easy to read pages and an illustrated dust jacket with good color.
- All three books retain the coordinated mid century look of period hardcover fiction with illustrated jackets.
Issues / Wear
- The Royal Box dust jacket is glued to the front board.
- The back board of The Royal Box is loose.
- The Royal Box jacket and book show some edge and shelf wear visible in the photos.
- Page edges across the lot show age toning and discoloration consistent with the 1950s publication dates.
- Rampole Place and Steamboat Gothic show light handling and shelf wear to their jackets and edges.
Condition Grade Key
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Near Fine: Close to new. Any flaw is small and named above.
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Very Good: Light use. Every flaw is named above, and none of them get in the way of reading or display.
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Good: Complete and usable, with clear signs of use. Every flaw is named above.
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Fair: Heavy wear or damage, named above. A reading or working copy, not a display piece.
Collector's Notes
Frances Parkinson Keyes was widely read for historical novels built around families, houses, and regional settings, while Isabella Holt's Rampole Place fits comfortably beside that kind of mid century historical fiction.
Shipping + Trust (Reading Vintage standards)
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Disclaimer
All items are vintage and may show signs of age, wear, or use consistent with their history. Photos show the exact condition of each piece, please review them carefully, as they are part of the description.
Care and Handling
Handle with clean, dry hands. Store upright, out of direct sunlight, at about 68°F and 40 to 50% relative humidity. Avoid damp areas and extreme temperature swings.
