FULL SET WILLIAM SHAKESPEARES Valpy FIRST EDITION 1833 PLATES BOYDELL
Item History & Price
THECOMPLETE WORKS OF WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE! First Edition of A.J. VALPY's SHAKESPEARE; animportant and early edition. Illustrated with 170 plates from the plates in BOYDELL's EDITION. Complete in 15 volumes, as stated on the title pages. Being The FIRST EDITION/FIRST PRINTING, of Valpy's Shakespeare. Rare & Desirable. An important First Edition, being that it contains 170 plates from Boydell's Shakespeare.CONDITION: All pages clean and intact. All Illustrations and protective sheets ...intact. Brown leather faded and chipping to various degrees on the top and bottom of each spine cover. See photos. Books not mildewed, bent, torn or dirty. Clean set.Boydell's Shakespearecompleted in 1805 is unobtainable, exceedingly rare, and costing a small fortune. Boydell's Shakespeare: [The "magnificent and accurate" Shakespeare edition which Boydell began in 1786 was to be the focus of his enterprisehe viewed the print folio and the gallery as offshoots of the main project.[16]In an advertisement prefacing the first volume of the edition, Nicol wrote that "splendor and magnificence, united with correctness of text were the great objects of this Edition".[32]The volumes themselves were handsome, withgildedpages that, unlike those in previous scholarly editions, were unencumbered by footnotes. Each play had its own title page followed by a list of "Persons in the Drama". Boydell spared no expense. He hired thetypographyexpertsWilliam Bulmerand William Martin to develop and cut anew typefacespecifically for the edition. Nicol explains in the preface that they "established a printing-house ... [and] a foundry to cast the types; and even a manufactory to make the ink".[33]Boydell also chose to use high-quality woveWhatmanpaper.[34]The illustrations were printed independently and could be inserted and removed as the purchaser desired. The first volumes of theDramatic Workswere published in 1791 and the last in 1805. Boydell's Shakespeare is exceedingly rare, desirable, and unobtainable.] Edited, Printed, & published by A.J. Valpy. Printed in 1833! This set is almost 200 years old! With 170 illustrated plates. COMPLETEin 15 volumes. Bound in full polished leather. Highly intricate gilt detailing. Gilt framing to the covers. Top edges gilded. Marbled end papers. The COMPLETE WORKS OF WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE. This set is complete in 15 volumes.
