William Shakespeare — A Midsummer-Night&Apos;S Dream

New York; London, Doubleday, Page & Co; William Heinemann, 1908. Cloth. The first Rackham-illustrated edition of Shakespeare"s enchanting comedy, issued with forty tipped-in colour plates and thirty monochrome drawings. Rebound in mid-twentieth-century black half morocco, with renewed endpapers. The first trade edition of Arthur Rackham's illustrated edition of this work. Illustrated with forty tipped-in colour plates by Rackham, mounted on art paper and protected by captioned tissue guards, together with drawings throughout the text. Collated, complete.  One of Shakespeare"s most celebrated comedies, combining romantic confusion, theatrical farce and supernatural fantasy. Set principally within an enchanted forest outside Athens, the play follows four young lovers whose affections are disrupted by a magical potion administered by the mischievous Puck.  Arthur Rackham (1867-1939) was one of the foremost illustrators of the Golden Age of British book illustration.  Rebound in mid-twentieth-century black half morocco, with renewed endpapers. Externally, lovely. Very slight shelf wear to extremities. One or two light marks to boards. Slight offsetting to endpapers. Ownership inscription to front free endpaper, dated 1951. Internally, firmly bound. Hinges slightly strained to front, holding firm. Minor glue residue to gutter of Dramatis Personae page. Title page partially detached at lower extremities, but holding firm. Pages bright and clean if slightly age toned. Slight offsetting from plates. Light scattered spotting, heavier to fore edge and first and last few leaves. Very Good . Ill.: Arthur Rackham. Very Good .