Shakespeare

London: John and Josiah Boydell, 1802. 9 volume set, 17 inches tall. A magnificent full Georgian morocco binding with wide gilt raised bands, splendid gilt tooling in the panels and on the boards, typical of the period. Gilt dentelles and all edges. With the armorial bookplate of Charles Augustus Wild. Most unusually there is absolutely no splitting to the joints, no repairs and no loss. There are dents and abrasions to the boards but overall a spectacularly fine copy. Embellished with 95 engraved tissue guarded plates, making a total of 97 with the portraits. There is a degree of foxing to the plates, as usual. "A Magnificent national edition, in which splendour of production was to go hand in hand with correctness of text" Updike.

London: Charles Griffin & Co. (1865). Full morocco, 7 3/4 inches tall. A fabulously bound volume by Zaehnsdorf with gilt raised bands and a superb stylized floral device in the panels and en masse on the boards. Gilt tooled dentelles and all edges gilt. With the leather bookplate of W.A. Foyle of Beeleigh Abbey. Rubbing but perfectly firm. The frontispiece and 12 further images represent famous Shakesperean characters or creations. These are followed by 2 pages of illuminated text relating to the characters. We can find very few examples of this work in institutions and no other copies in the trade.

London: Virtue & Co., 1875. 2 volume set, 15 inches tall. A tall and magnificent full morocco by Flude, Birch & Skelt, and with their ticket, with twin gilt raised bands and splendid gilt and blind tooling to the panels and boards. With fine gilt dentelles and all edges. Bookplate. Complete with all 39 full page engravings and 2 engraved vignettes on the title pages. Some light foxing and offsetting from a few plates, overall an usually clean and neat set of this monumental edition.

London: Charles Knight, 1842. 8 volume set, 9.5 inches tall. A stunning extra gilt full morocco with gilt raised bands, fine gilt tooled panels and spectacular gilt tooling to the boards. Gilt dentelles and all edges. Armorial bookplate. Occasional abrasions. A splendid set of this celebrated edition which is illustrated throughout.

London: London Printing and Publishing Company, c 1870. 3 volume set, 11 inches tall. Sparkling full morocco with gilt raised bands and superb gilt tooling to the panels and boards. Gilt dentelles and all edges. With Splendid vignettes and full page illustrations by Kenny Meadows. A pristine set of this entertaining edition.

London: Bickers and Sons, 1864. 4 volume set, 9 inches tall. A classic Victorian full calf with gilt raised bands, elaborate gilt tooling to the panels and densely tooled labels. The prize block of Rugby School is on the upper boards and a neat ink inscription is on the reverse of the free endpapers dated Midsummer 1865. Offsetting facing the portrait frontispiece, otherwise perfectly clean. A splendid set of all of Shakespeare's works including his Sonnets.

London: Allason, Maynard and Blair, 1819. 9 volume set, 6 1/2 inches tall. A delightful Regency set in full straight grain calf with gilt raised bands and splendid gilt tooling to the panels. Frontispiece. Sporadic light foxing.

London: Macmillan and Co., 1926. Full morocco, 6 inches tall. A delightful and luxurious binding by Ramage with raised bands and floral gilt designs with purple calf onlays on the spine and boards. Wide gilt dentelles and watered silk doublures and endpapers. All edges gilt. Bookplate on the first blank. Very slight rubbing, otherwise in very fine condition. A wonderful volume containing many of the finest love poems ever written.

London: Routledge, 1858. 3 volume set, 10 inches tall. A splendid full hard grain morocco with raised bands, finely gilt panels and elegant gilt tooling to the boards. Gilt dentelles and all edges. Edited by Howard Staunton and illustrated with engravings by John Gilbert. Slightly rubbed but overall a super copy of this celebrated edition.

London: Scott, Webster, & Geary, n.d., c. 1845. 2 volume set, 9 1/2 inches tall. A splendid early Victorian full hard grain morocco with gilt raised bands, charming floral gilt tooling to the panels and magnificent and very elaborate extra gilt tooling to the boards. Gilt dentelles and all edges. Engraved portrait and forty engraved plates. Slight fading to the spines and a little foxing, otherwise a superb set which includes the sonnets.

London: Charles Tilt, c 1840. 8 volume set, 4 inches tall. Full morocco with gilt panels, gilt blocks to the boards and all edges gilt. A charming little set with a few small nicks to head and tail caps, otherwise in pristine condition.

London: John Lane at the Bodley Head, 1899. Full morocco, 6 1/2 inches tall. A beautiful crushed morocco binding by Riviere with two gilt raised bands and fine floral gilt tooling in the Art Nouveau manner. Gilt dentelles and all edges. Very slight rubbing. Illustrated by Henry Ospovat, who was influenced by the Pre-Raphaelites and encouraged by Watts and Ricketts (B.M.) Bookplate. A delightful copy of these greatest of all sonnets.

London: Routeledge, Warne, and Routledge, 1862. 2 volume set, 9 1/2 inches tall. A rather magnificent full morocco with gilt raised bands, extra gilt panels and superb ornate gilt tooling around a heraldic crest to the boards. Gilt dentelles and all edges. Double column. Engraved portrait of Shakespeare, engraved title page, full page engravings of scenes from Shakespeare's Plays and 45 full page extra illustrated engravings of Shakespeare's heroines. Some rubbing to the binding, loss of both free end papers and slight foxing to the tissues and portraits but still an impressive set.

London: Dent, 1925. 3 volume set, 8 inches tall. A neat half calf by Riviere with gilt raised bands, twin labels and delicate gilt tooling to the panels. Gilt top edges. Decorated with 39 photogravures by E.J. Sullivan. Slight fading but still a bright and good looking set in lovely condition.

London: Longman et al., Printed by Gedge and Barker, Bury, 1812. Full calf. 5.75 inches tall. A fine example of this curious and rare title. With gilt raised bands, extra gilt panels, dentelles and all edges. Portrait of Shakespeare. Not signed but bound by Clarke and Bedford toward the end of the Victorian era. Expert repair to the top corner of the title page and slight stain to upper board, but overall a splendid copy.

Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1905. Full vellum, 10 inches tall. A pristine example of this fine facsimile reproduction of the first edition of 1609. Bound in full limp vellum with yapp edges and leather ties. There is gilt lettering to the spine and simple paneling to the covers. A super copy.

London: Smith, Elder, & Co., 1898. Full calf, 7 1/2 inches tall. A most attractive binding by Zaehnsdorf with gilt raised bands, extravagant floral gilt tooling to the panels and contrasting red label. With the gilt embossed crest of Uppingham School on the upper board and their prize bookplate on the paste down end paper. Gilt dentelles and all edges. With portraits and facsimiles.

Portland, Maine: Thomas B. Mosher, 1907. Full morocco, 7 inches tall. A fine binding for Hatchards of Piccadilly with raised bands and neat and simple gilt tooling framing the panels and boards, blind 'strapping' around the bands and onto the boards. Gilt title on the upper board. Handmade paper with gilt top edge and other edges left untrimmed. The bookplate of Gwendolyn Field and neat ink inscription, dated 1918, on the first blank. The spine is faded though still bright. A good looking copy of this fine edition of Shakespeare's sonnets.

London: Sampson Low, Marston, Searle, & Rivington, 1876. 2 volumes bound in 1, 7 inches tall. Half crushed morocco by H. Wood with raised bands and gilt centre tools and top edge. A scarce and curious edition 'Freed from all objectionable matter, and altogether free from notes' allowing it to be read aloud! 2 volumes, comprising 'Cymbeline'; 'Merchant of Venice', 'As You Like It'; 'King Lear'; 'Much Ado About Nothing'; 'Romeo And Juliet'; Twelfth Night'; 'King John'. Foxing to the preliminaries and a small stain in the top corner affecting the last two plays not touching the text.