Tales from Shakespeare (Ward Lock, 1919) illustrated by A. E. Jackson

Tales from Shakespeare

Charles and Mary Lamb
London, Melbourne and Toronto: Ward, Lock & Co., Limited, [2nd edition] 1919

A volume in the forty-eight colour plate (incl. endpapers) ‘Prince Charming’ series; however this book pre-dates the series being named. Other titles in the series include Alice in Wonderland (1916), Andersen’s Fairy Stories (1917), Grimm’s Fairy Tales (1920), The Water-Babies (1922), Aesop’s Fables (1924), Stories of King Arthur (1925), Robin Hood (1927), and The Adventures of Don Quixote (1929).

Illustrated by A. E. Jackson [Albert Edward Jackson (1873-1952)] who also illustrated the other ‘Prince Charming’ titles Tales from the Arabian Nights (1920), and The Adventures of Robinson Crusoe (1921).

Note: This edition first published 1918 and dated to foot of title page; this copy dated 1919 to title page and is the unstated second edition. 1919 copies also seen with dark blue cloth.

Hardback. Publisher’s light indigo cloth with black title and rules decoration to spine; black title, colour onlay plate and black rules to upper cover; illustrated endpapers. pp [1-6], 7-472 including colour plates. 8.5 x 6.25 inches approx. (211mm x 158mm).

Cloth a little shelf worn to extremities; lighly marked to lower board; a touch grubby/dusty in places but overall very clean and bright. A gift inscription in ink to verso of front free endpaper; light creasing to preliminaries; edges of page-block a little grubby and marked but generally pages clean throughout.

Overall, showing light wear commensurate with age and handling but otherwise a particularly nice, clean copy – very attractive in its indigo cloth.

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References

Jisc Library Hub Discover

Alan Horne, The Dictionary of 20th Century British Book Illustrators (Antique Collectors’ Club, 1994)