The National Shakespeare A Fac-simile of the Text of the First Folio of 1623

William Mackenzie, London, n.d. (c.1870). 3 volumes complete. Pagination irregular as it includes 'all those pecularities of paging, spelling, and punctuation' of the original 'First Folio'. Illustrated with 20 photographic engravings from drawings by Sir J. Noel Paton, 2 portraits of Shakespeare, 1 photo illus of Holy Trinity Church, Stratford on Avon and another of Shakespeare's tomb in 'Stratford Church'. The engravings are India-proof impressions. Bound in the publisher's full dark green morocco with raised bands and gilt titles and decorations on the spines. The covers are decorated in gilt and have deeply inset oval central panels with gilt titles and heraldic emblems. Covers are scuffed (mainly to extremities), with some loss of surface leather (causing small scarring to the gilt date of a decorative device on one volume), but still look very impressive. Hinges of one volume (Histories) split 16cms to upper rear, 12 cms to upper front and 10 cms to lower front. Contents little foxed. A number of pages are browned, mostly in the 'Comedies' volume. Marbled end papers with residual marks from removed bookplates. One portrait of Shakespeare with slight loss to background (10x5mm). 41x28cms.