Comedies, Histories, and Tragedies. Published according to the true Original Copies. Unto which is added seven plays never before printed in folio.; Fourth Folio
by Shakespeare, William
- Used
- near fine
- Condition
- Near fine
- Seller
-
Century City, California, United States
Payment Methods Accepted
About This Item
London: Printed for H. Herringman, E. Brewster, and R. Bentley, at the Anchor in the New Exchange, The Crane in St. Paul's Church-Yard, and in Russel-Street Covent-Garden, London, 1685. Full morocco. Near fine. 4th folio, 1st issue of Shakespeare's plays, the heart of English literature. 19th century full black morocco, fine condition and unrestored, beautiful beyond good fortune and with all of the visual satisfaction so prized by the parts of us that are superficial, a particularly appropriate and resonant antique. That said, these folios should be valued from the inside out and that is where this one's merits excel. Flaws first: The portrait has some light foxing (mostly at the margins), the title page and 5% of the text pages have intermittent stains, there are a few small chips and tears at the edges (all of them confined to the blank margins), some of them closed, and some of them left alone, tiny rust holes of no impact, and half a dozen margins are very slightly miscut, but don't be deceived by my fussy attention to details. This book is complete and authentic, every letter of text is genuine, and better still (remarkably so), no leaves are remargined or extended, and other Shakespeare folios, offered over many years, cannot, honestly, make these claims, including those offered these days for more money. A 336-year old ideal, tall and wide, an exemplary and glorious copy of what continues to prevail as the book of books. Ex-Elizabeth Young, the initial owner, with her ink signature to the title page. Ex-Thomas Jefferson McKee (bookplate) sold at his auction (Anderson's, NY, April 29-30, 1901, lot 2602), and the McKee sale was a spectacular one, featuring rarities that have become impossibilities (for example, he had 529 English quarto plays printed before 1700). So, this folio is of a quality standard that was high 120 years ago, and it was once part of the greatest American library auctioned up until that time. Collation: O2, A4, A-Y6, Z4, BB-ZZ6, *AAA- DDD6, EEE8, AAA-ZZZ6, AAAA-BBBB6, CCCC2, 458 leaves with the usual mispaginations. References: Greg III 1119. Pforzheimer 910. Bartlett 123. Wing S 2915. Jaggard 497. We've been selling these heirlooms since 1980, and look at 10 for every 1 we buy, and the folios available these days are offered with descriptions that harken real estate advertising jargon. Average copies, presented with unwarranted praise, and covered in worn, repaired or rebacked bindings, or worse yet, new bindings, with their veneer of glitter, like some farm girl sculpted from marzipan, may sell near our price when made lifelike by morticians in the guise of conservators, and may sell for even less when lost text or pages have been replaced in facsimile. But you can't make a wit out of 2 halfwits, and a chicken sent traveling does not come back an eagle, so if you want a stalwart folio, that will bring lasting pride of ownership in the most urbane and cultivated of libraries, this is it. Better copies are unavailable and here are 2 timeless realities about Shakespeare folios in this condition. Unequivocal immortality is a given, and on those unpredictable occasions when copies like this one are offered for sale, the zaniest inversion of inevitability, is to fantasize that the next one will be finer and cheaper.
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Details
- Bookseller
- Biblioctopus (US)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- 4
- Title
- Comedies, Histories, and Tragedies. Published according to the true Original Copies. Unto which is added seven plays never before printed in folio.; Fourth Folio
- Author
- Shakespeare, William
- Format/Binding
- Full morocco
- Book Condition
- Used - Near fine
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Publisher
- Printed for H. Herringman, E. Brewster, and R. Bentley, at the Anchor in the New Exchange, The Crane in St. Paul's Church-Yard,
- Place of Publication
- London
- Date Published
- 1685
- Weight
- 0.00 lbs
- Keywords
- 64
Terms of Sale
Biblioctopus
*Every item is guaranteed to be genuine, as described, and way cool, regardless of vintage, but all manuscripts fashioned by the living are particularly burdened with, and isolated by, specific and uneditable disclaimers of warranty.
*Everything is deemed to be sold on approval, and may be returned, with notice, within 8 days, for any reason, or no reason, for a full refund. Everything continues to be the lawful property of Biblioctopus until it is wholly paid.
About the Seller
Biblioctopus
Biblio member since 2017
Century City, California
About Biblioctopus
Biblioctopus sells first editions of the classics of fiction, high spots in history, science, and historical ephemera
Glossary
Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:
- Quarto
- The term quarto is used to describe a page or book size. A printed sheet is made with four pages of text on each side, and the...
- Edges
- The collective of the top, fore and bottom edges of the text block of the book, being that part of the edges of the pages of a...
- Morocco
- Morocco is a style of leather book binding that is usually made with goatskin, as it is durable and easy to dye. (see also...
- Fine
- A book in fine condition exhibits no flaws. A fine condition book closely approaches As New condition, but may lack the...
- Leaves
- Very generally, "leaves" refers to the pages of a book, as in the common phrase, "loose-leaf pages." A leaf is a single sheet...
- Folio
- A folio usually indicates a large book size of 15" in height or larger when used in the context of a book description. Further,...
- Title Page
- A page at the front of a book which may contain the title of the book, any subtitles, the authors, contributors, editors, the...
- Facsimile
- An exact copy of an original work. In books, it refers to a copy or reproduction, as accurate as possible, of an original...
- New
- A new book is a book previously not circulated to a buyer. Although a new book is typically free of any faults or defects, "new"...
- Rebacked
- having had the material covering the spine replaced. ...