A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM. by RACKHAM. ARTHUR. Illustrates. ; SHAKESPEARE. WILLIAM - 1908

Grove Press, Inc. New York. 1968. LIMITED EDITION. FIRST FRENCH LANGUAGE EDITION. 8vo. (7.6 x 5.6). Copy number 61 of just 92 copies reserved for La Librairie des Éditions, out of 189 copies in the total edition. A fine copy with the page edges still uncut. Publishers white paper wraps printed in blue and black. Original glassine around the wraps. A lovely copy, and scarce in such nice condition, of the first printing of Beckett's translation. Although written during 1944, Watt wasn't published until 1953 and it was another 15 years before he completed this much anticipated French translation.

Constable & Company Limited. London. 1934. FIRST EDITION. Large 8vo. (9.9 x 7.1 inches). Illustrated title page with a fine wood engraving by John Farleigh. Inscribed by Shaw to the film and stage Actress Joyce Bland. There is a presentation inscription, not in Shaw's hand, on the front free endpaper which reads; 'To Miss Bland. With every good wish & in memory of the Malvern Festival. July 1934.'. The second inscription, By G B S, on the half title page reads; 'Inscribed to Joyce Bland Bernard Shaw Malvern 16th Aug. 1934'. A very good copy in the publishers delux leather binding of full tan morocco. Spine with raised bands. The compartments are ruled and lettered in gilt and decorated with a blind ruled multiple box design. Boards with a blind ruled blocked line design within six ruled border lines. Salmon pink endpapers. Top edge gilt. A very good copy with some minimal rubbing to the extremities but still an attractive book. ------ Joyce Bland (1906 to 1963) was a Shakespearean stage actress who… Read More

Constable and Company Limited. London. 1915. FIRST HEATH ROBINSON EDITION. Large 8vo. (8.7 x 7.1 inches). Beautifully illustrated with 8 full colour plates and 95 listed line drawings in the text, many full page, plus a few small vignettes, not in the list of illustrations. Finely bound in recent full dark green Morocco leather binding. Spine with five raised bands. Compartments ruled, lettered and decorated in gilt. Single gilt ruled line border on boards. Marbled endpapers. Top edge gilt. Original illustrated front board and spine bound in. Some offsetting to the half title and the last text page but generally a very good clean and bright copy throughout in an attractive leather binding.

Longmans, Green and Co. London. 1889. FIRST EDITION, first impression. 8vo. (7.3 x 5.1 inches). viii, 390pp, 16pp publishers adverts at end dated August 1889. Illustrated with 8 full page mono plates and scores of smaller illustrations throughout the text by Ford, G. P. Jacomb-Hood and Lancelot Speed. Publishers decorated dark blue cloth binding with gilt illustration to the front board and spine, which is also lettered in gilt. The book has been professionally re-cased and has new plain white endpapers. All edges gilt. Some marks and spots to a few pages but overall this is a very good copy internally with the binding showing some wear and minor chipping to the extremities, particularly the top of the spine. Overall a near to very good copy of the first of Lang's colour Fairy books.

William Blackwood and Sons. Edinburgh and London. 1915. FIRST EDITION. (7.5 x 5 inches). Some minor browning to page edges, as is often the case with this title, but less so than usually found. Finely bound in recent full dark blue morocco, raised bands, gilt. Single gilt ruled border on boards. Top edge gilt. Overall a very good, bright copy in attractive leather binding.

Printed for J. Johnson, C. Dilly, G. C and J. Robinson, etc......London. 1799. TWO VOLUMES. 4to. (11.3 x 9.8 inches). Eighth edition, corrected and Revised. Portrait frontispiece in volume one engraved by Heath after the painting by Sir Joshua Reynolds and dated January 1st, 1799. A very good clean set. Finely bound in period style mid twentieth century full brown calf. Boards with single gilt ruled borders. Spines with double ruled gilt bands and lettering. Gilt inner dentelles. Marbled endpapers with a neat previous owners bookplate mounted in each volume. All edges marbled. An attractive copy.

William Heinemann Ltd. London. 1961. THREE VOLUMES. Reprint of the 1951 Edition. 8vo. (8 x 5.4 inches). Fine and clean set in the rare Publishers delux leather bindings of full red Morocco. Spines with blind ruled bands and lettered in gilt. Gilt stamped Author's symbol device to the front boards. Blue marbled endpapers. Top edges gilt. Each volume with a red silk page marker. Housed in a red cloth covered slip case with marbled paper lining. The spines are a bit rubbed and there are a couple of small scratches but overall this is an attractive set of this important collection. Only a few sets were issued in these publishers delux leather bindings and they seldom turn up on the market.

Dr. George Vanja & Co. Budapest. 1937. SIGNED, LIMITED EDITION. Small 4to. (9.3 x 6.8 inches). Illustrated with ten original coloured etchings by Lidia Farkas and Zoltan Poharnok, printed by hand-press and hand-coloured. One of 250 numbered copies, signed by both artists. This is number 54. Plain red endpapers. Attractive illustrated bookplate fo the front pastedown endpaper. Split to the bottom two inches of the front inner hinge, holding firm, but otherwise a very good clean copy in the original oatmeal coloured linen covered binding with red lettering to the spine and front board, which is also decorated with a multi colour cross stitch design.

J. Maisonneuve et Ch. Leclerc. Paris. 1889. FIRST EDITION. 8vo. (9.9 x 6.4 inches). vii, 300pp. A very good copy in a fine early leather binding of full dark green morocco. Spine with gilt ruled lines, floral design and lettering. Front board with ruled panels and floral designs, all in gilt Single gilt ruled border to the rear board and board edges. Gilt inner dentelles. Marbled endpapers. All edges gilt. Armorial bookplate of noted author of books on folklore and topography, Sir George Laurence Gomme (1853 - 1916) on the front pastedown. Some offsetting to the endpapers from the leather turn-ins. A little rubbing to the extremities and the spine faded to an attractive brown but overall still a lovely copy of this scarce work in a fine quality binding. The binding is unsigned but is certainly the work of a master bookbinder.

Faber & Faber Limited. London. 1939. FIRST EDITION. Large 8vo.(8.8 x 6.6 inches). 45pp. Finely bound in recent full red morocco leather, single gilt ruled border on boards. Spine lettered in gilt. Top edge gilt. A fine copy of this classic book in an attractive leather binding. Only 3005 copies were printed.