Medium
Paper with composition covers
Dimensions
6 x 3 1/2 x 2 in. (15.2 x 8.9 x 5.1 cm)
Classification
Bible
Culture
British
Department
The American Wing
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Daniel M. C. Hopping, 1986
Accession Number
Inst.1986.1
Rights
Public Domain
Tags
Art Historical Context
This petite Bible, printed in 1847 by the esteemed British firm of George Edward Eyre and William Spottiswoode, captures the Victorian era's devotion to portable piety. Measuring just 6 x 3½ x 2 inches, its compact paper pages bound in sturdy composition covers made it ideal for travelers, soldiers, or daily devotees seeking spiritual solace on the go. Eyre & Spottiswoode, official printers to Queen Victoria, were renowned for their precision craftsmanship, producing finely detailed texts that reflected the period's advances in steam-powered printing and typography. Housed in The Met's American Wing, this British artifact highlights transatlantic cultural exchanges, gifted in 1986 by Daniel M. C. Hopping. Its tag "Christ" nods to the central role of Gospel narratives in 19th-century personal faith, when pocket Bibles surged in popularity amid religious revivals. As a testament to industrial-era bookmaking, it showcases how mass production democratized scripture, blending utility with elegant design for everyday enlightenment.
About the Artist
George Edward Eyre|William Spottiswoode (British| ) · 1818 | –1887 |9999
British, 1818–1887|