Shakespeare, William
Rare books by William Shakespeare, including early folio editions of the plays, copies of the plays and sonnets in fine bindings, and handsome library sets of his collected works.
Shakespeare is regarded as the greatest writer in the English language, and probably the best-known figure in all of world literature. His poetry was published first, while very few of his plays were published in his lifetime; they are first practicably obtainable from the four posthumous folio editions of his plays published in the seventeenth century. Shakespearean textual scholarship began with the Rowe edition of 1709 and saw a plethora of competing editions throughout the succeeding century and beyond. Among his poetical works, the Sonnets have been most popular, particularly as the source of romantic biographical speculation about this most self-effacing of dramatists.
SHAKESPEARE, William.
Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, and Tragedies. 1632
£385,000
Second folio edition, Todd's first issue, the Smethwick imprint (Todd's state 1c), one of the scarcest of the variant imprints. John Smethwick (d. 1641) had been a minor partner in...
Folio (325 × 214 mm) , 454 leaves, complete. Finely bound c.1900 in full red goatskin by Rivière & Son, spine divided in seven compartments by raised bands,... Read more
SHAKESPEARE, William.
Comedies, Histories and Tragedies. 1685
£140,000
Fourth folio, and the last of the 17th-century editions of Shakespeare's works, edited by John Heminge (d. 1630) and Henry Condell (d. 1627), the seven plays added by Philip Chetwin...
Folio (356 × 230 mm). Nineteenth-century burgundy crushed morocco by Maltby of Oxford, spine richly gilt in compartments, sides ruled in gilt and with gilt... Read more
(CRAIG, Edward Gordon) SHAKESPEARE, William.
The Tragedie of Hamlet Prince of Denmarke. 1930
£15,000
First English edition, first impression, preceded by the German language edition published by Kessler in 1929. One of 300 copies. This volume combines the magisterial scholarship of...
Folio (355 × 240 mm). Original japon vellum-backed Kessler binding, beige paper to covers, vellum tips, titles gilt to spine and upper board, top edge gilt. With... Read more
SHAKESPEARE, William.
Julius Caesar. A Tragedy. [after 1691]
£10,000
An unusually good example of an early quarto edition, surviving examples of which are commonly found trimmed and in poor condition. There is no lifetime quarto of Julius Caesar,...
Quarto (227 × 166 mm). Early twentieth-century full red morocco by Riviere & Son, spine gilt in compartments between raised bands, sides ruled in gilt with a... Read more
(CRANACH PRESS) SHAKESPEARE, William; CRAIG, Edward Gordon (illus.)
The Tragedie of Hamlet Prince of Denmarke. 1930
£8,750
Limited edition, one of 300 numbered copies printed on handmade paper specially made for the Cranach Press; the English language issue of this masterpiece of 20th-century book...
Small folio, pp. 186. Together with the 35-page "Notes on the Text of Shakespeare's Hamlet, 1604" inserted in a pocket in the back cover. Original quarter linen with... Read more
SHAKESPEARE, William.
The Complete Works, with annotations and a general introduction by Sidney Lee. 1908
£8,500
A very handsome set, printed in London by the University Press.
20 volumes, octavo (211 × 153 mm). Contemporary dark blue morocco, spines gilt in compartments between 5 raised bands, gilt titles in two panels, sides panelled... Read more
SHAKESPEARE, William.
The Works. [c.1900.]
£7,500
Edinburgh edition, extra illustrated. Limited to 26 lettered copies. A luxurious deluxe binding of Shakespeare's works.
20 volumes, tall quarto (320 × 207 mm). Contemporary dark blue crushed morocco, titles to spine gilt with centre tools in compartments separated by raised bands,... Read more
SHAKESPEARE, William.
The Works. 1893-5
£7,500
One of 500 copies on handmade paper, the second edition of the Cambridge Shakespeare, first published in 1863–6, the principal and most enduring work of the editor William...
40 volumes bound in 20, large octavo (252 × 170 mm). Finely bound by Birdsall and Son in brown half morocco, titles and decoration to spines, raised bands, brown... Read more
SHAKESPEARE, William.
The Works. 1881
£4,000
Edition de luxe, one thousand numbered copies.
15 volumes, quarto (268 × 184 mm). Finely bound by Zaehnsdorf in burgundy morocco, titles and decoration to spines, raised bands, multi-rules to boards, roll to... Read more
SHAKESPEARE, William.
Venus & Adonis. Tarquin & Lucrece and His Miscellany Poems (Sonnets). 1710
£3,750
First edition. Curll's volume of Shakespeare is a continuation of the six volumes edited by Nicholas Rowe, the first modern editor of Shakespeare. Curll's volume is sometimes...
Octavo (195 × 120 mm). Recent speckled calf, red morocco label, five raised bands, boards panelled with floral roll and cornerpieces. Contents tanned and lightly... Read more
[ROBINSON, W. Heath] SHAKESPEARE, William.
A Midsummer-Night's Dream 1914
£3,500
Signed Limited Edition of 250 copies, of which this is number 203.
Quarto. Finely bound by The Chelsea Bindery in full dark blue morocco, titles and decoration to spine gilt, raised bands, single rule to boards gilt, pictorial block... Read more
(KELMSCOTT PRESS) SHAKESPEARE, William.
The Poems of William Shakespeare, 1893
£3,250
First Kelmscott edition, one of only 500 copies printed.
Octavo. Original limp vellum, titles to spine gilt, blue silk ties. Printed in black and red. Lower tie lacking. Vellum a little rubbed and dulled. An excellent copy. Read more
SHAKESPEARE, William.
The Plays ... 1765
£3,250
First edition edited by Dr Johnson, the first variorum edition, and the foundation text of modern Shakespearean scholarship. Jaggard notes that Johnson seems to have earned in excess...
8 vols., octavo. Mid 19th-century contemporary half calf, spine gilt in compartments, double green morocco labels, marbled sides, endpapers and edges. Portrait... Read more
SHAKESPEARE, William.
The Works. 1904
£3,000
The Stratford Town Edition, limited to 1000 copies printed on handmade paper of which this is number 25.
10 volumes, octavo. Finely bound in full brown morocco, two red labels, gilt titles and decoration to spines, raised bands, gilt decorative border to boards, marbled... Read more
SHAKESPEARE, William.
The Tempest and The Two Gentlemen of Verona. 1632]
£3,000
Second folio editions. Two plays printed together and extracted from a copy of the second Shakespeare folio. These are the first plays printed at the beginning of the folios, and as...
Folio (319 × 198 mm), 19 leaves, pp. 1–38. Early 20th-century maroon morocco-backed marbled boards, spine lettered in gilt. Corners a little worn, boards... Read more
(RACKHAM, Arthur) SHAKESPEARE, William.
A Midsummer Night's Dream. 1908
£2,750
Limited edition of 1000 numbered copies signed by Rackham.
Quarto. Finely bound by The Chelsea Bindery in blue morocco, titles and decoration to spine, pictorial title block to front board, single rule to board, inner... Read more
(NASH, Paul) SHAKESPEARE, William.
A Midsommer Nights Dreame. 1924
£2,750
The Players' Shakespeare, limited to 106 copies. Signed by the art editor Albert Rotherston, the illustrator Paul Nash, and the introduction writer Harley Granville-Barker.
Quarto. Finely bound by The Chelsea Bindery in full blue morocco, titles to spine gilt, rule to boards gilt, motif to front board, inner dentelles gilt, marbled... Read more
SHAKESPEARE, William.
The Dramatick Writings. 1788
£2,500
First Bell Edition.
20 volumes, 12mo. Contemporary tree calf, smooth spines with double tan labels, other compartments with gilt devices, boards with gilt rolls, marbled endpapers,... Read more
SHAKESPEARE, William.
The Winters Tale. 1632]
£2,500
Single play extracted from a copy of the second Shakespeare folio. This was one of Shakespeare's last plays, written around 1610, when Shakespeare's plots repeatedly centred around...
Folio (319 × 198 mm), 14 leaves, pp. 277–303, [i] blank. Modern calf-backed boards, spine lettered in gilt. Some minor paper restoration to corners not... Read more
(STRACHEY, Lytton) SHAKESPEARE, William.
Shakespeare's Songs. 1912
£2,500
Limited edition, one of 510 copies printed, presentation copy from Lytton Strachey to Ottoline Morrell, with his gift inscription on the front free endpaper, "Ottoline from Lytton....
Sextodecimo. Original red paper stamped in imitation of raffia over boards, title in black within recessed panel on front cover, untrimmed edges, black silk marker.... Read more
(RACKHAM, Arthur) SHAKESPEARE, William.
A Midsummer-Night's Dream. 1908
£2,500
Signed Limited Edition. One of 1000 copies of which this is number 532 signed by Rackham.
Quarto. Finely bound by Zaehnsdorf in brown morocco, titles and decoration to spine, raised bands, pictorial title block to front board, roll to turn-ins, marbled... Read more
SHAKESPEARE, William.
The Plays. 1785
£2,000
Third Johnson and Steevens edition and first Reed edition. The first Johnson and Steevens edition was published in 1773 and the second in 1778. This third edition was revised by...
10 volumes, octavo. Recent sprinkled calf, double morocco labels crimson and green, single rule to boards, cream endpapers. Frontispiece of the author to volume 1.... Read more
SHAKESPEARE, William.
The Dramatick Writings. 1788
£2,000
First Bell Edition.
20 volumes, 12mo. Contemporary full crimson straight grained morocco, titles and decoration to spines gilt, raised bands, single rule to boards with cornerpieces gilt,... Read more
(FORE-EDGE PAINTING) SHAKESPEARE, William.
Shakespeare Illustrated by an assemblage of Portraits and Views; [1793?]
£2,000
First edition, with a pair of contemporary fore-edge paintings. The book was the first collaboration of the artist and publisher Silvester Harding and his younger brother Edward, who...
2 volumes, octavo (214 × 130 mm). Contemporary blue straight-grained morocco, smooth spines divided into compartments by thick gilt rules with thin gilt rules... Read more
(RACKHAM, Arthur) SHAKESPEARE, William.
A Midsummer Night's Dream. 1908
£1,950
First edition, first impression. Limited edition of 1000 numbered copies signed on the limitation leaf by Rackham.
Quarto. Original full vellum, titles and pictorial decoration to spine and front cover gilt, brown endpapers, top edge gilt, others untrimmed. Colour frontispiece and... Read more
