A magnificent mid‑19th century Illustrated Family Bible, edited by the Rev. John Brown of Haddington and published by A. Fullarton & Co., Glasgow, Edinburgh and London, circa 1860. This large folio volume contains the complete Old and New Testaments, with Brown’s renowned self‑interpreting and explanatory notes and extensive marginal references designed to guide family reading and study.
The binding is an impressive full black leather, with deeply blind‑tooled borders to the boards, raised bands to the spine and all page edges richly gilt, giving the book real presence on a table or lectern. Inside, the text is printed in double columns and lavishly illustrated with full‑page chromolithograph plates, including striking scenes such as “Moses Viewing the Promised Land” and “Interpretation of the Mysterious Writing”. The plates in this copy retain strong colour and the paper shows only light age‑toning and occasional spotting, very good for a family Bible of this period.
Condition is good to very good overall. The binding is firm and square, no loose gatherings, and the gilt page edges still bright. Internally the pages are clean, with just the expected handling marks and a few small spots; there is no serious staining or damage. 
 
Tucked inside the front cover is a charming late‑Victorian marriage label that adds a real sense of human story to this Bible. It bears the bold printed name “MACKENZIE” above a smaller printed “Marriages” slip, completed in ink for weddings held at a parish church in Newcastle‑on‑Tyne in 1898, and headed by the verse “What therefore GOD hath joined together, let not man put asunder” from St. Matthew 19:6. The handwritten entries record two marriages, including that of Alfred Cooper to Ellen Phillips, preserving a snapshot of one family’s most important moments more than a century ago. For family‑history enthusiasts and lovers of provenance, this label gives the volume extra depth and character, transforming it from a decorative Victorian Bible into a tangible piece of real social history.
 
This is an ideal centrepiece for a period home, church, study or display, and will appeal to collectors of Victorian Bibles, fine bindings and chromolithograph illustration alike. Given its substantial size, high‑quality binding and attractive illustrations, it would also make a distinctive heirloom or special occasion gift.
 
The book measures 31.3 x 23.5cm (12.32" x 9.25").