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Tales From Shakespeare - A Beautifully Illustrated Antique Edition
A book with real presence: soft sage-green cloth, richly gilded lettering, curling decorative ornament, and a striking figure in a flowing orange-red robe. Before you turn a page, this handsome antique edition announces that Shakespeare should be an adventure.
Written by Charles and Mary Lamb and illustrated by Walter Paget, this edition was published by Ernest Nister of London and E. P. Dutton & Co. of New York. Undated, it is attributable to circa 1901.
Its appeal extends beyond the illustrated binding. Inside is a handwritten note recording that the book was read aboard a ship during a crossing to Europe in 1909 - a small, personal connection to the age of ocean travel.
An Especially Striking Pictorial Binding
The front cover combines an elegant standing figure, a parchment document with a hanging seal, elaborate gilt lettering, and sweeping botanical ornament. Deep blue accents and the brilliant orange-red costume stand out beautifully against the muted green cloth.
The decorated spine carries another costumed figure beneath the gilt title, while the rear cover features a small circular portrait in color.
It is a wonderfully coordinated design, with the flowing lines and ornamental richness associated with turn-of-the-century book decoration. The gilt page edges add another luxurious touch.
This is the sort of book that rewards display both face-out and on a shelf.
Shakespeare Reimagined By Charles And Mary Lamb
First published in 1807, Tales from Shakespeare introduced generations of readers to Shakespeare through prose adaptations of his plays.
The Lambs turned complicated dramatic action into connected stories while preserving much of Shakespeare’s language and atmosphere. Mary adapted the comedies, while Charles handled the tragedies.
The result brings enchanted forests, shipwrecks, mistaken identities, dangerous ambition, romance, jealousy, and royal intrigue into a form that can be enjoyed without following a full theatrical script.
Although created for younger readers, the book has enduring appeal for adults who enjoy Shakespeare, illustrated literature, and the history of reading.
Illustrated By Walter Paget
The title page specifies:
• Six color plates
• Seventy half-tone illustrations
• Illustrations by W. Paget
The photographed color frontispiece offers a richly detailed woodland scene, with figures gathered beneath the trees. Decorative chapter lettering and the graceful illustrated endpapers extend the visual interest beyond the principal illustrations.
These endpapers deserve particular attention: elegantly dressed figures, flowers, trailing foliage, and an ornamental oval create a delicate contrast to the bold colors of the outer binding.
The illustration counts above are those stated by the publisher on the title page.
“Read On Board Crossing To Europe - 1909”
One of this copy’s most appealing features is the handwritten ownership inscription and accompanying note:
“Read on board crossing to Europe — 1909.”
That brief sentence gives the book an individual history.
Imagine it tucked into a traveler’s luggage, brought out during the long hours at sea, and opened while Europe still lay beyond the horizon. Shakespeare’s forests, palaces, and shipwrecks would have made fitting company for an ocean crossing.
The inscription does not identify a vessel, but it preserves something more personal than a printed publication date: a record of someone actually reading and carrying this particular book more than a century ago.
Publication Details
• Title: Tales from Shakespeare
• Authors: Charles and Mary Lamb
• Illustrator: Walter Paget, credited as W. Paget
• London publisher: Ernest Nister
• New York publisher: E. P. Dutton & Co.
• Publication date: Undated; circa 1901
• Title-page reference: E.N. No. 765
• Binding: Pictorial cloth decorated in color and gilt
• Page edges: Gilt
• Endpapers: Illustrated
• Ownership/travel inscription dated 1909
Condition
An attractive antique copy retaining vivid cover colors and substantial gilt decoration.
There is rubbing and handling wear to the cloth, with wear at the corners and spine ends, particularly the upper spine. The spine shows some fading and dulling compared with the front cover. The rear cover has scattered marks and discoloration.
The photographed interior pages remain generally bright and readable, with age toning and some scattered spotting or marks, particularly around the preliminary leaves and endpapers. A handwritten ownership and travel inscription is present.
Please examine all photographs closely for the binding, page edges, interior condition, and inscription.
A Book With Both Beauty And A Personal History
An appealing addition to a collection of illustrated Shakespeare, antique children’s literature, decorative publisher’s bindings, or Edwardian travel memorabilia.
The combination of sage-green cloth, glowing gilt, dramatic costume illustration, and the 1909 ocean-crossing inscription makes this a particularly engaging copy—one that offers as much pleasure on the shelf as it does in the hand.
