Lot 118
118
SHAKESPEARE, William (1564-1616). The Plays and Poems of William Shakespeare. Philadelphia: printed and sold by Bioren and Madan, 1795-1796.
SHAKESPEARE, William (1564-1616). The Plays and Poems of William Shakespeare. Philadelphia: printed and sold by Bioren and Madan, 1795-1796.

Price realised GBP 2,750
Estimate
GBP 1,000 – GBP 1,500
Estimates do not reflect the final hammer price and do not include buyer's premium, and applicable taxes or artist's resale right. Please see Section D of the Conditions of Sale for full details.
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SHAKESPEARE, William (1564-1616). The Plays and Poems of William Shakespeare. Philadelphia: printed and sold by Bioren and Madan, 1795-1796.

Price realised GBP 2,750
Price realised GBP 2,750
DetailsMore from
Details
SHAKESPEARE, William (1564-1616). The Plays and Poems of William Shakespeare. Philadelphia: printed and sold by Bioren and Madan, 1795-1796.

First American edition of Shakespeare’s complete works, including the first engraved portrait of Shakespeare printed in America. Due largely to a puritanical approach to the theatre in 17th-century America, it was not until 1752 that an American audience witnessed the first professional performance of a Shakespearean play. The preface to this edition defends the plays against claims of moral indecency and remarks upon the particular genius ‘of a poet as yet but imperfectly known on the western shore of the Atlantic’ (p.iv). ESTC W28892; Jaggard p.507.

8 volumes, 12mo (167 x 100mm). Engraved portrait by R. Field in vol.1 (some spotting and browning; vol.1: small marginal chip in M5; vol.2: lacking portion of title with loss of one word and affecting another; vol.4: chip to upper corner of 2B2 affecting page number, marginal tear in 2C4; vol.7: small chip in margin of 2H1; vol.8: two short tears in title, chip in S2 affecting a few words, portion of S6 and all of Y1 lacking but with 19th-century manuscript facsimile). Vols.1-7 in contemporary calf, vol.8 in contemporary tree calf (rebacked, vol.8 supplied from another set and slightly shorter). Provenance: Nimrod H Moore (bookplate in vols.2-6, inscriptions) – Burtus & Crane Lottery Office (bookseller’s label in vol.1) – Francis Cagswell (inscription dated 1827 in vol.7) – partly removed bookplate in vol.7 – Sherman Everest, Yale (inscription in vol.8).
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