TALES FROM SHAKESPEARE. Into several remote nations by RACKHAM. ARTHUR. Illustrates.; LAMB. CHARLES AND MARY - 1909

Garden City Publishing Company. Star Books. New York. Circa 1931. EARLY U. S. EDITION. Inscribed by Shaw. 8vo.(8.4 x 5.7 inches). Shaw has inscribed the half title page; " Inscribed to Mr. Robert F. de Graaf. G. Bernard Shaw. 14th November 1931. I vehemently repudiate the portrait on the jacket. It has the horrible quality of being very like somebody else - I cannot for the life of me remember whom. You should have picked out something more impressive. No intelligent Woman would trust a man with a face like that." A fine clean copy of the book in publishers cloth and the original silver, black and white dustwrapper with portrait illustration of Shaw to front panel, designed by Robert De Graaf. Minor rubbing and a couple of small chips to extremities but overall a very good example indeed. Housed in a grey cloth covered clam-shell case with grey leather label, lettered in gilt.

J and R. Tonson. London. 1761. NEW EDITION. Three 4to volumes. (11.9 x 9.6 inches). Vol.1. lxxix, xxii,491pp; - Vol.2. 460pp, 116pp indexes; - Vol.3. 690pp, iipp index. (2 of the last 2 leaves, 4T & 4Ti have been bound in. One in the correct place at the end of the text and again, randomly, in the middle of one of the Poems on several occasions). Illustrated with 20 full page copper engraved plates, including 3 portraits as the frontispiece for each volume, plus 17 fine illustrations by Francis Hayman, each with some offsetting to the page opposite. Neat contemporary previous owners names to the top of the title pages and rear of frontispieces. Some minor foxing to the margins of a few pages, and darker offsetting to 2 leaves where a previous owner had inserted a fern leaf, otherwise a very good set which has been finely bound in recent full speckled brown calf. Spines with raised bands, the compartments double ruled in gilt. Red labels, gilt. Double ruled blind border on boards. An attractive… Read More

The Roycroft Printing Shop. New York. 1896. First edition, pirated by Elbert Hubbard, founder of the Roycroft movement. 8vo. Inscribed by the author on the title page, "I repudiate all responsibility for this bowdlerised piracy. Elbert Hubbard, who perpetrated it, is dead. Why not bury it with him? G. Bernard Shaw. 27/5/22." Additionally inscribed by Hubbard on the front free endpaper, "To Leonard D. Abbott with all good wishes from his friend Elbert Hubbard." Original cloth-backed boards. Housed in a blue half morocco slipcase and chemise. A fine copy.

R. Ackermann. London. 1813 (Circa 1870?). PORTFOLIO OF 13 PLATES. No text, as issued. (Paper size 14.9 x 11.3 inches. The portfolio is 15.5 x 12 inches). Portrait of Blake, by T. Phillips, RA; Engraved title page (dated 1808) and 11 plates, all stating Ackermann as publisher, dated 1813 and engraved by Louis Schiavonetti, after Blake's designs. The pages have a little bumping to the edges but well away form the engraved area. Plates a little dusty and toned but the impressions are good. The original portfolio is brown Morocco grained cloth with elaborate blind tooled designs to both boards. Gilt lettering to the front board. Only one small piece of one silk tie remaining. Yellow coated endpapers. 3 small clippings from bookseller catalogues, each listing copies of the Blair/Blake book, tipped in to the front pastedown endpaper. Some minor rubbing and bumping to the cloth but the gilt is still very bright and the cloth clean. Overall a very good example of this rare edition. ----- "When Gilchrist's… Read More

Leonard Smithers and Co. London. 1899. FIRST EDITION. Small 4to.(8.4 X 6.3 inches). xvi, 213pp. Original light purple cloth with gilt lettering to the spine and decorative designs by Charles Shannon in gilt to both boards and spine. All edges untrimmed. A small amount of light offsetting to the blank endpapers. Some mottling to the spine and a little bubbling to the cloth on the front board but overall a very good copy. One of 1000 copies, published July 1899. -- Mason 385.

Chatto & Windus. London. 1891. FIRST EDITION. 3 Volumes. 8vo. (7.5 x 5 inches). Inscribed by the author on the half-title of volume I, "A. P. Watt with the Author's kindest wishes. 6th June 1891". 12 mono full page plates by Green, each with a tissue guard. Original dark green cloth blocked with elaborate blind decoration, spines lettered in gilt, floral patterned endpapers. Cloth very slightly rubbed at extremities and a few thin white streaks to the front board of volume one and some light foxing to the decorative endpapers, otherwise clean, tight and bright throughout. Overall a better than very good set. Alexander Pollock Watt (1838–1914) was the first successful British literary agent. His agency, started in 1875, is still active today and is, in fact, the longest-established literary agency in the world. He acted as Besant's agent, and also his literary executor.

Chatto & Windus. London. 1888. FIRST EDITION. 3 Volumes. 8vo. (7.5 x 5 inches). Inscribed by the author on the front free endpaper of volume I, "A. P. Watt. From the Author". Original brown cloth blocked in metallic blue in a geometric pattern to the spines and front boards. The spines are lettered in gilt. Floral patterned endpapers. Spines rolled a little, some light spotting to endpapers and title pages but generally a clean, tight and bright copy. Overall a better than very good set. Alexander Pollock Watt (1838–1914) was the first successful British literary agent. His agency, started in 1875, is still active today and is, in fact, the longest-established literary agency in the world. He acted as Besant's agent, and also his literary executor.

Gyldendalske Boghandels Forlag (F. Hegel & Son). Kobenhavn (Copenhagen). 1890. FIRST EDITION. Preceded by 12 copies printed in London, England, with a view to securing copyright. 8vo. (7 x 4.8 inches). iv, 236pp. A fine copy in publishers original green cloth binding with elaborate decoration and lettering in black and gilt to the front board and spine. Rear board with blind stamped borders and central publishers logo. Decorative floral endpapers. All edges gilt. Previous owners neat oval leather bookplate, lettered and decorated in gilt, on the front paste-down endpaper. A lovely copy of this famous work. --- Printing and the mind of man no. 375.

The Modern Press. 1886. First separate issue, larger untrimmed variant, inscribed by the author. Originally printed in the April 1885-March 1886 issues of "To-Day", this first edition was printed from the corrected and revised stereos of the original setting for the journal. This is the larger, variant issue, with the preliminary blank leaf bound at the beginning. Shaw explains the variant this way: "The size of the bigger copies is due to the fact that they reproduced not only the type but the format of To-day. But the booksellers objected that in this form it occupied too much room to be displayed on their stalls and counters. It was probably cut down as far as the margins would allow to meet this objection" (Laurence). Inscribed by Shaw, "This is the first Issue, which was so tall that the booksellers refused to exhibit it on their counters, as it took too much room. So it had to be cut down. G. Bernard Shaw 26/7/30." . ---- Housed in a green cloth covered chemise and quarter green morocco slip… Read More

Richard Bentley. London. 1847. Bentley's Standard Novels and Romances, volume 25. Reprint of the 1833 edition. 8vo. (7 x 4.5 inches). Illustrated frontis engraving by Pickering. Publishers dark brown morocco grained cloth with elaborate blind stamped decorative border to the boards. Spine lettered and decorated in gilt. Yellow endpapers with lists of other titles published by Bentley. Neat previous owner bookplate to the top of the front paste down endpaper. Some staining to the bottom of the frontispiece, not affecting the image or type, otherwise a very clean and fresh copy. The cloth is clean and tidy, with sharp corners, and the gilt on the spine still bright and fresh. A little rubbing to the extremities but this is a superior copy. Scarce in such nice condition.