The Works of William Shakespeare. The Text Formed from an Entirely New Collation of the Old Editions: with the Various Readings, Notes, A Life of the Poet, and a History of the Early English Stage.

SHAKESPEARE, William. Edited by John Payne Collier.

$300.00

Item Number: 138774

London: Whittaker & Co, 1842-1844.

The large-type edition of Collier’s Shakespeare. Octavo, three of nine original volumes bound in three quarters morocco, gilt ruling to the spine in six compartments within raised bands, morocco spine labels lettered in gilt, marbled endpapers, tissue-guarded frontispiece portrait of Shakespeare engraved from the Folio edition of 1623. Mixed editions. In good condition. Uncommon.

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.