London: Printed by Bunney and Cold (for J. Bell), 1790-1799. 30 volume set, 6 inches tall. A fine Regency full straight grain morocco with twin gilt pallets and title on the smooth spine and a neat gilt fillet framing the boards. Each volume has the impressive engraved armorial bookplate of Clonbrock, once home to one of the great Irish Country House libraries, much of which was purchased by the National Library of Ireland. A wonderful collection of ninety plays, all with an engraved frontispieces showing a portrait of a leading actor in character from the play, and an engraved title page and a letterpress title. There are no general title pages. Each also has a short biography of the…
(more)
London: Printed by Bunney and Cold (for J. Bell), 1790-1799. 30 volume set, 6 inches tall. A fine Regency full straight grain morocco with twin gilt pallets and title on the smooth spine and a neat gilt fillet framing the boards. Each volume has the impressive engraved armorial bookplate of Clonbrock, once home to one of the great Irish Country House libraries, much of which was purchased by the National Library of Ireland. A wonderful collection of ninety plays, all with an engraved frontispieces showing a portrait of a leading actor in character from the play, and an engraved title page and a letterpress title. There are no general title pages. Each also has a short biography of the author, and the dramatis personae for performance at Drury Land and Covent Garden. Some very light foxing but overall exceptionally bright and clean. The engraved frontispieces are after portraits by Samuel de Wilde, who specialised in theatrical portraits. A terrific set with a great provenance, in excellent condition, which provides an encyclopaedic insight into what audiences were watching in Georgian London.
(less)
