Theatre

London: Kegan Paul, Trench & Co., 1882-3. 12 volume set, 6 1/2 inches tall. A delightful set in late Victorian full vellum, rarely found in this condition. Bound with a smooth back with titles in black and red. Gilt top edges, the remaining edges untrimmed. Finely printed on hand-made paper. A splendid complete set of the Bard's great works, including the Sonnets.

London: John Murray, 1833. 6 volume set, 9 inches tall. A handsome half morocco with gilt raised bands and neat gilt tooling to the panels. Gilt top edges. James Shirley was an important and popular English playwright and poet who was prolific in the first half of the 17th century. This scarce set is the first collected edition of his works.

London: William Tegg, 1812-1815. 12 volume set, 8 inches tall. A superb Regency full calf binding with wide gilt bands, delicate gilt tooling with a Greek lyre centre tool to the panels and contrasting maroon label. A gilt roll and blind fillets frame the boards. Portrait, engraved title pages and full page engravings throughout. There is considerable fading to the spines and some boards, in particular that of volume I, otherwise a fine clean firm set. On the reverse of the paste down endpaper of volume one are are 2 ink inscriptions. Overall a splendid set of this scarce edition.

Paris: Chez Pierre Ribou, 1715. 5 volume set, 6 1/2 inches tall. A lovely full early 18th century mottled calf with raised bands, twin labels, which vary in colour, and ornate floral gilt tooling to the panels, so typical of the period. Triple gilt fillets frame the boards. Gilt dentelles and all edges. With the bookplate of N. F. B. le Sage and that of the Bibliotheque de Cirey, the library of Madame de Simiane at the Chateau de Cirey. With fine engraved plates throughout. Quinault was a celebrated playwright and perhaps most famous for composing libretti for Lully's works. A very scarce edition, in the original French.

London: J. Nichols, F.C. and J. Rivington et al., 1813. 21 volumes, 9 1/2 inches tall. A remarkable and beautiful Regency full tree calf binding with gilt bands, triple labels, including charming olive volume number labels, and lovely gilt tooling to the panels. The striking tree calf boards are framed within a rather jaunty gilt roll. A name has been removed from the head of the title page of the first volume, there are a few scratches, a little superficial loss to the ubiquitous defunct insect and occasional light foxing but overall a splendid bright set in wonderful condition with absolutely no splitting. With notes by Samuel Johnson and George Steevens, revised by Isaac Reed with is a particularly respected edition with a large, highly readable text.

London: Longman, Rivingtons et al., 1847. 8 volume set, 8 3/4 inches tall. A very good looking Victorian full calf with gilt raised bands, twin labels and ornate gilt tooling to the panels. Twin gilt and a blind fillet frame the splendid blind device on the boards. Portrait. There is a neat ink inscription, dated 1853 on the first blank. There are some minor scratches, nibblings of a long defunct insect and a couple of small splits not affecting the integrity of the binding. This edition 'Accurately printed from the Text of the Corrected Copies Left by the Late George Steevens, Esq., and Edmond Malone, Esq.,.... (with) a history of the Stage, & A Life of Shakspeare; by Alexander Chalmers'.

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: 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.

London: John C. Nimmo, 1890. 2 volume set, 10 1/2 inches tall. A very fine full morocco binding by the great firm of J. Leighton of Brewer Street. With gilt raised bands, superb gilt tooling to the panels and boards, gilt dentelles and all edges. With the bookplate of Alfred de Rothschild. Some superficial marking to the binding, but a super set. From a limited edition of 210 copies with the etchings in 2 states and the 'Masks', illustrating the Italian Commedia dell' Arte, hand coloured. A wonderful set of the Memoirs of this great Venetian 18th century playwright in English.

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: 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: 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: Richard Bentley, 1838. 4 volume set, 9 inches tall. A very good looking full Victorian calf with gilt raised bands, twin labels and fine gilt tooling to the panels. Twin gilt fillets and corner tools frame the boards. Gilt dentelles and top edges. With the bookplate of Charles B. Cochran, the English theatrical producer. Embellished with 16 engraved plates, many folding. The life and career of Charles Mathews, celebrated English theatre manager and comic actor in theatre and entertainment in the 18th and 19th centuries.

Padova: Zanon Bettoni, 1811, 1812, 1817. 6 volume set, 8 1/2 inches tall. A beautiful set in full cat's paw calf with gilt raised bands, delicate gilt tooling to the panels and twin labels. The boards are framed within a pair of gilt fillets. Contains the bookplate with the inscription “Philosophemur" (let us philosophise), which belongs to Dr. James Musgrave. He owned many books worthy of note, including the later ownership of Sir Isaac Newton's personal library. Carlo Goldoni was perhaps the greatest Italian playwright and librettist of the 18th century, famed for his wit and comedic style. He wrote in Italian and French making much use of his native Venetian language. In the original Italian.

London: Geoffrey Bles, 1924. Half morocco, 9 1/2 inches tall. A simple though impressive half morocco by Sangorski and Sutcliffe with gilt raised bands and gilt framed panels. Gilt top edge. Profusely illustrated. Neat leather bookplate. A scarce first edition on the life of the outstanding character actor, and probably the greatest Russian theatrical producer and director of his day, whose influence and methods continue to this day.

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.

York: Wilson, Spence, and Mawman, 1795. 4 volume set, 6 3/4 inches tall. A good looking 18th century full speckled calf with gilt pallets on a smooth back and twin labels. Speckled edges. Grand Armorial Bookplate. A few minor expert page repairs but overall a lovely set of the first edition.