William Shakespeare, John Boydell

First American edition of the Boydell collection of the Illustrations of the Dramatic Works of Shakespeare.

• Sold as a set of 2.
• William Shakespeare (English).
• Edited by John Boydell (English).
• New York: Shearjashub Spooner, 1852. 
• 205 pages; 200 pages.
• Folio.
• 51 illustrated plates; 49 illustrated plates.
• Three-quarter bound in red morocco and red buckram with gilt ruling and lettering to spine and gilt ruling to boards.

Boydell was a British publisher and engraver who decided to undertake the massive project of creating an illustrated folio edition of Shakespeare’s works that took nearly twenty years to complete, and the first edition was published in 1805. It incorporates engravings based on the works of dozens of prominent artists, including George Romney, Henry Fuseli, Benjamin West and Angelica Kauffman.