Shakespeare, William and Knight, Charles (ed.) The Works of Shakspere (sic). New York. Virtue and Yorston. (n.d.) C .1870. 2 Volumes, complete as issued. Illustrated throughout by superb, tissue-guarded full page engravings upon steel by C. W. Cope.; W. P. Frith.; C. R. Leslie.; D. Maclise.; E. M. Ward.; C. Clint.; H. S. Marks.; W. Q. Orchardson. et al. Collation: Vol. 1 - Frontis, Title Vignette,32 Plates ; Vol 2. - Frontis, Title Vignette, 21 Plates. Complete as issued. Thick Folios. 11 x 15.5”. Extravagantly bound in the High Victorian style in Publisher’s original,decorative full crimson grain morocco. Intensely ornate gilt-tooled decorations and figurative motifs to front and rear covers. Gilt ruled spine compartments with intricate gilt-tooled fleural motifs. Gilt ruled raised bands. Gilt titles. Most luxurious and labyrinthine gilt-tooled inner-dentelles. Marbled endsheets. All edges gilded. The Imperial Edition. An flamboyant, imposing collection of Shakespeare in what is regarded as perhaps the supreme example of High Victorian Bookbinding. Various light rubbing to covers. Small strip of leather lacking to front cover of Vol. 1 with resultant loss of gilt decoration. Previous owners small bookplate to Front Pastedowns. Usual light, innocuous scattered foxing, mainly marginal to Plates and not effecting images which are of supreme depth and clarity. Generally, a Near Fine, gleaming, jaw-dropping set.
The Quadrupeds of North America. New York John James Audobon: V. G. Audubon, 1849-51-54 3 volumes, in 8s (10 1/4 x 6 1/2 in.; 260 x 170 mm). 155 fine handcolored lithographed plates by W. E. Hitchcock and R. Trembly after J.J. and J. W. Audubon (plates 1-31 printed by Nagel & Weingartner, New York and colored by J. Lawrence; remaining plates printed and colored by J.T. Bowen, Philadelphia); lacking half-titles, light toning to text, chiefly in vol. 1, occasional text offsetting to verso of plates, not affecting images. Publisher’s deluxe dark blue morocco paneled gilt, covers gilt-stamped with animal emblems derived from Plate I (American Wildcat) in the center and Plates XXXI (Collared Peccary), VI (American Cross Fox), XLII (Common American Skunk), and II (Maryland Marmot Woodchuck Groundhog) used as cornerpieces, dentelles richly gilt, yellow-coated endpapers, spines in 6 compartments with raised bands lettered and decorated in gilt, edges gilt.
First Edition of Dashiell Hammett’s The Maltese Falcon, extravagantly bound in full, gilt ruled ebony Morocco by Zahensdorf for Asprey of London.Cheap at $10,000.
