[ANON]. The Birthday Oracle, or, Whom Shall I Marry. Guesses at the Character or Appearance of Your Future Husband or Wife. Arranged for Every day in the Year With Extracts to Suit Both Sexes. Edinburgh: William P. Nimmo & Co., 1883.
SECOND PRINTING. Leather-bound, hardcover, small format (11cm x 8cm x 2cm), pp. 248, [8]. English text, with quotes from great authors printed on rectos, ornamental border printed on all pages. Bound in leather-backed Mauchline Ware covers with an image of Inverarray Castle to upper board and Dunderave Castle to lower board, smooth spine gilt, all page edges gilt, patterned endpapers, half-title. Printed by Morrison & Gibb, Edinburgh. Condition: VERY GOOD. Binding tight and secure, light wear to covers, contemporary gift inscription to front endpaper, a few trivial notes throughout mostly in pencil. Scarce.
Notes: Stunning Mauchline Wear binding containing The Birthday Oracle, a relic of the Victorian era following the hopes of persons through height of the Spiritualist movement. The Birthday Oracle falls into the Victorian middle class fervour for accessing knowledge from beyond the veil. Though true Spiritualists relied more on seances, Ouija boards, and other means of contacting the Beyond, this little book pairs birthdays with couplets of poetry for men and women to reveal traits of their future partners. This book was an active part in hopeful contemplation about what the future could hold.
