Gift books and annuals were popular in the mid-19th century. They were usually given as gifts at Christmas and other special occasions. The books were expensive and elaborately decorated with lavish bindings, gilt edged pages and illustrations. Most contain essays short stories and poetry. UVic has many examples of gift books and annuals holdings in Special Collections. To locate in the catalogue, browse, AY11 (American gift books) or AY13 (British gift books).
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