The Nonesuch Shakespeare: The Histories, Signed Custom Harcourt Binding

Binding Details:  Signed custom binding by the Harcourt Bindery, Charlestown, Massachusetts bound in morocco leather over marbled covered boards with raised bands to the spine, gilt titles, and gilt center motifs and ruling. There are single gilt lines to the boards, hand-sewn silk endbands, marbled endpapers, with the top page edges gold gilted. The Harcourt Bindery label appears on the bottom of the last free endpaper.

Book Details:  Published by in 1953 by the Nonesuch Press as part of their 4 volume “The Nonesuch Shakespeare” that included Comedies, Histories, Tragedies, and Poems, this is the Histories volume. Commenting on the Nonesuch Shakespeare, Fine and Finer Editions wrote, “There are so many attractive editions of Shakespeare’s works available that those that are a little different can become immensely appealing. Such is the case with this 1953 Nonesuch Press edition of Shakespeare. These volumes are subtle but of good quality. The Title page is impressive in red and black and throughout black and white devices are used sparingly, giving an authentic Elizabethan/Letterpress feel. They are printed on high quality paper, including fine India paper to contain all the plays in these modest octavos.”

Measures approximately 8.5” x 5.25” with 1,197 pages.

Condition Report:  The binding is in FINE condition. Internally, the book is very clean with no signs of previous ownership. Overall, this is a beautiful binding that houses the Histories of Shakespeare.

A photograph of the binding appears in the photo section of the listing.