1811 The Whole Historical Dramas of William Shakspeare

Description

First Edition, Illustrated, Leather Binding, Very Scarce

The first edition of this vanishingly scarce work.

Complete in two volumes.

Bound in a contemporary half calf with marbled paper-covered boards.

This exceptional work is comprised of unusual related Shakespearean content, containing biographies of well-known characters, views of places mentioned and a collection of portraits.

With the full title of 'The Whole Historical Dramas of William Shakspeare Illustrated, by an Assemblage of Portraits of the Royal, Noble and Other Persons Mentioned; Together with those of Editors, Commentators, and Actors, and Views of Castles, Towns, &c, of the Respective Places Referred to; with Short Biographical and Topographical Accounts'.

A beautiful collection of plates, depicting oval portraits of characters, royalty and noblemen, with scenes depicting settings to the plays. Engraved by a variety of artists, including Le Goux, Andrew Birrell, Thomas Medland, and many more.

Profusely illustrated with 101 plates to Volume I and 58 plates to Volume II.

Containing three stevengraphs of bright woven silk, all relating to Shakespeare, with one commemorating the tercentenary of his death in 1864. Stevengraphs are collectable pictures woven from silk, named after Thomas Stevens, who created the first examples in Coventry in the mid-nineteenth century. These particular three stevengraphs were woven by the Coventry silk manufacturers Mulloney & Johnson (Peter Daws - Stevengraph-Silks (2018). Available at: https://www.stevengraph-silks.com/others/allrest/mulloney.html; accessed August 2024).