Available Copies from Independent Booksellers
Price: US$325.00 + shipping
Description: Black leather/boards with center/border motif of highly-elaborate gilt. Elaborately-gilded spine with 5 raised bands, also decoraded. Paginated as follows: (8) + 100 + (4) + 105 + (5) + 104 + (4) + 112 with 10 bw engraved plates total. All edges gilt; board edges and inner dentelles with gilt decoration. Oversize/folio and heavy (12 pounds) and will require extra postage. Includes The Merchant of Venice (2 plates); As You Like It (4 plates); The Taming of the Shrew (2 plates); and All's Well that Ends Well (2 plates). Clean, tight text block. Covers scuffed and head/tail of spine missing small pieces. Off-setting from each plate onto page opposite and a slight bit of foxing on the occasional page.
Seller: Mullen Books, ABAA, Marietta, PA, U.S.A.
Price: US$325.00 + shipping
Description: Black leather/boards with center/border motif of highly-elaborate gilt. Elaborately-gilded spine with 5 raised bands, also decoraded. Paginated as follows: (8) + 112 + (4) + 127 + (5) + 120 + (4) + 143 with 9 bw engraved plates total. All edges gilt; board edges and inner dentelles with gilt decoration. Oversize/folio and heavy (14 pounds) and will require extra postage. Contains the First Part of King Henry VI (3 plates); Second Part of King Henry VI (3 plates); Third Part of King Henry VI (1 plate); and Richard III (2 plates). Clean, tight text block. Covers nearly detached. Covers scuffed and head/tail of spine missing small pieces. Ffep torn at top. Off-setting from each plate onto page opposite and a slight bit of foxing on the occasional page.
Seller: Mullen Books, ABAA, Marietta, PA, U.S.A.
Price: US$325.00 + shipping
Description: Black leather/boards with center/border motif of highly-elaborate gilt. Elaborately-gilded spine with 5 raised bands, also decoraded. Paginated as follows: (8) + 99 + (5) + 101 + (4) + 135 + (5) + 141 with 10 bw engraved plates total. All edges gilt; board edges and inner dentelles with gilt decoration. Oversize/folio and heavy (13 pounds) and will require extra postage. Contents include: Timon of Athens (2 plates); Titus Andronicus (3 plates); Troilus and Cressida (2 plates); and Cymbeline (3 plates). Clean, tight text block. Covers scuffed and head/tail of spine missing small pieces. Off-setting from each plate onto page opposite and a slight bit of foxing on the occasional page.
Seller: Mullen Books, ABAA, Marietta, PA, U.S.A.
Price: US$358.17 + shipping
Description: Bound in modern fine-ribbed, gilt-tooled navy cloth. Spine bands and panel edges somewhat dulled and rubbed as with age. Remains quite well-preserved overall. Physical description: 98p: ill., 1. port. (engravings); 44 cm (fol.) Notes: Originally issued in 18 parts in 1791 and 1802 [i.e. 1803?]. Contents: v. 3. Merchant of Venice ; As you like it ; Taming of the shrew ; All's well that ends well. Subjects: Shakespeare, William 1564-1616 Illustrations. Shakespeare, William 1564-1616.Genre: Drama. English drama. Illustrated. 1 Kg.
Seller: MW Books Ltd., Galway, Ireland
Price: US$400.00 + shipping
Description: Bound in modern fine-ribbed, gilt-tooled navy cloth. Spine bands and panel edges somewhat dulled and rubbed as with age. Remains quite well-preserved overall. Physical description: 98p: ill., 1. port. (engravings); 44 cm (fol.) Notes: Originally issued in 18 parts in 1791 and 1802 [i.e. 1803?]. Contents: v. 3. Merchant of Venice ; As you like it ; Taming of the shrew ; All's well that ends well. Subjects: Shakespeare, William 1564-1616 Illustrations. Shakespeare, William 1564-1616.Genre: Drama. English drama. Illustrated. 1 Kg.
Seller: MW Books, New York, NY, U.S.A.
Price: US$3500.00 + shipping
Condition: Good
Description: Folio. 13 x 17.5 inches page size. Contemporary half calf, and marbled boards, gilt spines; later brown endpapers, expertly refurbished. Royal folio, 9 vol., half titles, c. 90 only of 97 engravings after Reynolds, Northcote, Porter, Bunbury, Opie, Westall, Smirke, Stothard, Hamilton, and other eminent British artists, tissue guards, leaves uncut, heavy foxing, especially the margins of the plates and the tissue guards, and intermittent dampstaining, mainly at gutter of leaves.Printed from the types of W. Martin at the Shakespeare Printing Office.Lowndes, Vol. 4, p. 2263 right columnVery heavy volumes about 150 pounds
Seller: Wittenborn Art Books, San Francisco, CA, U.S.A.
Price: US$4000.00 + shipping
Description: 81 [of 100] Plates after Fuseli, Reynolds, Westall, Ibbetson, Boydell, Stothard, et al. 8 of 9 Volumes WITHOUT VOLUME 9 vols. Folio (16-1/2 x 13 inches). This set contains Boydell's series of large copper plates that were engraved after a number of well known contemporary artists. A type foundary, an Ink factory and a printing plant were all erected especially for the production of this edition, which actually began to be issued serially in 1791, despite the 1802 imprint. Jaggard, p. 508 Bound in half contemporary pebbled brown morocco and marbled boards, gilt spine, t.e.g. A little scuffed, some scattered foxing (only occasionally affecting plates), usual offsetting from plates, else a very good set. Bookplate of Samuel Bancroft and Alfred Byers 81 [of 100] Plates after Fuseli, Reynolds, Westall, Ibbetson, Boydell, Stothard, et al. 8 of 9 Volumes WITHOUT VOLUME 9 vols. Folio (16-1/2 x 13 inches)
Seller: James Cummins Bookseller, ABAA, New York, NY, U.S.A.
Price: US$5500.00 + shipping
Description: Large folio. Nine volumes. Full calf, gilt. All edges gilt. Brown coated end papers. Illustrated with 101 engraved plates by the most eminent British engravers and painters of the period including Sir Joshua Reynolds, Smirke, Northcote, Stothard, William Hamilton, Bunbury, Opie, et al. Most plates have the tissue guards present. Some wear to binding extremities, generally a very good set. Foxing to a few leaves in Volume 3; dampstaining to the fore-edge of some leaves in Volume 8, and some wear to the upper cover of Volume 8; upper cover of Volume 9 detached, one repaired tear to a margin in Volume 9, and moderate overall wear. A heavy set, in excess of 150 pounds, so shipping costs are a consideration.
Seller: William Matthews/The Haunted Bookshop, Sidney, BC, Canada
Price: US$7500.00 + shipping
Condition: Good
Description: Folios. 31.3 x 41.3 cm. 9 volumes. Original calf with gilt dentelles along the edges of the covers; gilt spine and edges; the heavy covers reattached with matching binding material by the artisan binder Sasha Mosalov. . Scattered foxing, mainly light.few pages with tears. Total weight about 140 pounds. Will be shipped in 3 heavy boxes.OCLC 5503043: Contents: v. 1. Prefaces of Pope and Johnson to the Dramatic works of Shakspeare. Tempest ; Two gentlemen of Verona ; Merry wives of Windsor ; Measure for measure.v. 2. Comedy of errors ; Much ado about nothing ; Love's labour's lost ; Midsummer-night's dream.v. 3. Merchant of Venice ; As you like it ; Taming of the shrew ; All's well that ends well.v. 4. Twelfth-night ; Winter's tale ; Macbeth ; King John.v. 5. King Richard II ; King Henry IV ; King Henry V.v. 6. King Henry VI ; King Richard III.v. 7. King Henry VIII ; Coriolanus ; Julius Caesar ; Antony and Cleopatra.v. 8. Timon of Athens ; Titus Adronicus ; Troilus and Cressida ; Cymbeline.v. 9. King Lear ; Romeo and Juliet ; Hamlet ; Othello.Notes:Originally issued in 18 parts in 1791 and 1802 [i.e. 1803?]The edition is based upon the 1790 Malone and 1793 Steevens editionsVolume title pages, with "volume" designation, are all dated 1802With a dedication leaf "To the King's most excellent majesty" dated June 4th, 1803, signed John Boydell, Josiah Boydell, and George Nicol; advertisement signed "G.N." in v. 1Letterpress printed.Plays are paginated separately, have no signatures, and are bound in no designated order.Each play has a colophon reading: From the Shakspeare Press, by W. Bulmer & CoNo table of contents or list of plates is given, but the plates correspond with the list given in "Boydell's Graphic illustrations of the dramatic works of Shakspeare," a separate issue of the plates, except that the latter lacks a variation of the first plate in Richard III (Gloster and the princes) while it has in addition (as frontispiece) "Shakspeare nursed by Tragedy and Comedy, " a portrait of John Boydell, a variation of Juliet's supposed death, and a second plate in Titus Adronicus (Lavinia nursing her young nephew, by T. Kirk)."Boydell's Graphic illustrations &c." must not be confused with their "Collection of prints, from pictures painted for the purpose of illustrating the dramatic works of Shakspeare," London, 1803, two large folios containing larger plates (100, including the portraits of the King and Queen prefixed, and the two title-vignettes) most of which are entirely different from these smaller platesPlates, dated 1791-1803, are mainly by R. Smirke, W. Hamilton, R. Westall, F. Wheatley, James Northcote, with a few each by Reynolds, Opie, Stothard, and others. Among the engravers who executed the greatest number of plates are James Parker, Anker Smith, and James Heath.
Seller: Wittenborn Art Books, San Francisco, CA, U.S.A.
Price: US$7500.00 + shipping
Condition: Very Good
Description: 9 Volumes. large folio. with half-titles. 95 engraved plates (of 100?; incl. 2 portraits, 1 bound as a frontis.). contemporary blind & gilt-stamped straight-grained dark blue morocco, gilt backs, all edges gilt (rubbed, some surface abrasions to covers & spines, scattered foxing & browning). bookplate of William Kemmis. First Edition, Second Issue, of the 'Boydell Shakespeare'; our copy has 95 engraved plates whereas Jaggard calls for 100 (the NUC cites a frontis. & 96 plates). Boydells Shakespeare combined the work of the best painters and engravers working in England at the time, among them Reynolds, Stothard, Hamilton, Smirke, Romney, Fuseli, Opie, Hamilton, Northcote, Neagle, Wheatley, West, Westall, and Schiavonetti. This work was " the first great effort of the kind ever made by English artists, and its influence cannot be overestimated." (DNB) According to Jaggard the production of these "sumptuous" plates "swallowed up a fortune." "The original paintings filled the great Shakespeare Gallery in Pall Mall, and made the name of Boydell famous." (Idem.) "This work was meant to be a magnificent national edition, in which splendour of production was to go hand in hand with correctness of text. "With regard to the Typographical part of the work," Nicol says, "the state of printing in England, when it was first undertaken [1786], was such that it was found necessary to establish a printing-house on purpose to print the work; a foundry to cast the types; and even a manufactory to make the ink." (Updike) Jaggard p. 508. Updike, Printing Types, II p. 144.
Seller: D & E LAKE LTD. (ABAC/ILAB), Toronto, ON, Canada
Price: US$9500.00 + shipping
Description: Rare finely bound complete set of "by far the largest single engraving enterprise ever undertaken in England", John Boydell's magnificent illustrated folio edition of the dramatic works of Shakespeare. Folio, 9 volumes. Bound in three quarters morocco with gilt titles to the spine, all edges marbled. Elaborately illustrated with 96 plates engraved by the most eminent British engravers and painters of the era including Richard Westall, Thomas Stothard, George Romney, Henry Fuseli, Benjamin West, Angelica Kauffman, Robert Smirke, James Durno, John Opie, Francesco Bartolozzi, Thomas Kirk, and Henry Thomson. Edited by George Steevens, one of the greatest Shakespearean scholars of the 18th century. In near fine condition. A rare complete set of Boydell's masterpiece, for which he spared no expense to produce. The works of William Shakespeare enjoyed a renewed popularity in 18th-century England. Several new editions of his works were published, his plays were revived in the theater and numerous works of art were created illustrating the plays and specific productions of them. Capitalizing on this interest, English publisher John Boydell undertook a large and elaborate Shakespeare venture that included the establishment of the Boydell Shakespeare Gallery and the production of a grand illustrated edition of Shakespeare's plays showcasing the talents of British painters and engravers. He chose the noted scholar and Shakespeare editor George Steevens to oversee the edition which became the focus of the enterprise. Boydell spared no expense in the production of the set. He hired typography experts William Bulmer and William Martin to develop and cut a new typeface specifically for the edition and sought out the most eminent painters and engravers of the day to contribute 96 engravings to the folios.
Seller: Raptis Rare Books, Palm Beach, FL, U.S.A.
Price: US$19248.98 + shipping
Description: 9 volumes. Folio (41 x 31.5 cm). Contemporary full straight-grained dark purple morocco, raised bands, titles and decorations to compartments gilt, elaborate frames to boards in gilt and blind, all edges gilt, elaborate rolls to turn-ins gilt, dark green silk endpapers and inlays. 2 engraved portraits and 95 full-page engraved plates. Spines light sunned, extremities lightly rubbed, boards occasionally slightly scuffed, intermittent foxing to text block, occasional mild spotting to margins, light offsetting from plates. Overall an excellent, handsome set. The numerous copperplates are engraved after paintings by many of the leading artists of the time, including Reynolds, Smirke, Northcote, Porter, Stothard, Hamilton, Bunbury, Opie, and Westall. Complete as issued. No table of contents or list of plates is given, but the plates correspond with the list given in "Boydell's Graphic illustrations of the dramatic works of Shakspeare,"(1803) a separate issue of the plates alone, except that the latter lacks a variation of the first plate in Richard III (Gloster and the princes) while it has in addition (as frontispiece) "Shakspeare nursed by Tragedy and Comedy," a portrait of John Boydell, a variation of Juliet's supposed death, and a second plate in Titus Adronicus (Lavinia pursuing her young nephew, by T. Kirk) In turn "Boydell's Graphic illustrations &c." should not be confused with their "Collection of prints, from pictures painted for the purpose of illustrating the dramatic works of Shakspeare," London, 1803, two elephant folios containing larger plates (100, including the portraits of the King and Queen prefixed, and the two title-vignettes) most of which are entirely different from these smaller plates.
Seller: Robert Frew Ltd. ABA ILAB, London, United Kingdom
SHAKESPEARE BOYDELL John. Dramatic Works of Shakespeare. , 1802.
Price: US$21000.00 + shipping
Description: "SHAKESPEARE, William. The Dramatic Works of Shakspeare. Revised by George Steevens. London: W. Bulmer and Company for John and Josiah Boydell, and George Nichol, 1802. Nine volumes. Large thick folio (each volume measures approximately 13 by 17 inches), contemporary full burgundy morocco, raised bands, elaborately gilt-decorated covers and spines, all edges gilt. $21,000.The monumental 1802 Boydell-Steevens edition of Shakespeare's Works, complete with two engraved frontispieces and the full complement of 94 fine full-page copper engravings after paintings by the leading English artists of the time. Edited by Boydell and revised by renowned 18th-century Shakespearean scholar George Steevens. Sumptuously bound in full contemporary morocco-gilt."Boydell's gallery completely altered the course of English painting. Most painters earned their livings by painting portraits for the wealthy nobility, but when Boydell began to commission works from the best artists in England, they were free to explore other topics and themes, drawn first from Shakespeare's plays, then from other writers, and finally from the classics and English history. Boydell had almost single-handedly created a market for what was called 'history painting,' and painters had a source of income that was not rooted primarily in portraiture" (Friedman, 2). Contributors include Reynolds, Fuseli, Smirke, Northcote, Porter, Stothard, Hamilton, Bunbury, Opie and Westall. These images were "used repeatedly to illustrate the works of Shakespeare, and they appear in all sorts of modified, adapted, and borrowed forms in engravings and drawings that accompany the plays. Producers, directors and critics were all part of that public exposed to the Boydell prints" (Rusche). According to Boydell's prospectus of 1786, a type foundry, an ink factory, and a printing house were all specially erected for the production of this edition. He began issuing the work in 1791 in 18 eventual parts, then published a nine-volume folio edition in 1802 (this set), and finally a two-volume elephant folio of all the engravings in 1803. "There can be no doubt that Boydell's Shakespeare was the most splendid of bibliophile editions undertaken in the 18th century or at any other time no Printing Press, which has hitherto existed, ever produced a work so uniformly beautiful" (Franklin, 47-48). "During the last decade or two, [circa 1890-1910] complete surviving sets have greatly decreased in number " (Jaggard, 506, 508). This set with 1802 general title page for each volume, all half titles, and a complete complement of 96 folio plates, including the second frontispiece bust of Shakespeare not listed in the Directions to the Binder (not bound in this copy), which calls for 95 plates. Includes the important prefaces of Pope and Johnson. Two leaves in Volume II from Much Ado About Nothing supplied from a smaller copy. Scattered foxing, a few instances of faint dampstaining; magnificent contemporary binding with modest wear to boards. A beautiful copy of a historic edition of Shakespeare."
Seller: Bauman Rare Books, Philadelphia, PA, U.S.A.