A Midsummer Night's Dream.

RACKHAM, Arthur (illus.); SHAKESPEARE, William.

Published by London: William Heinemann; Doubleday, Page & Co, New York, 1908

About this Item

First Rackham edition, in a handsome prize binding for Tonbridge pupil and artist Captain Adrian Waterlow (1893-1978). The recipient, who was the son of the painter Sir Ernest Albert Waterlow, exhibited at the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition in 1937 and 1938. He previously saw action at the Battle of Loos and was retired from frontline duty after being severely injured during the first day of fighting. In these memorable illustrations, Rackham "developed his gift for drawing witches, gnomes, fairies, and anthropomorphized trees and brought them to a pitch of vivid characterization, sometimes with an unsettling frisson of horror" (ODNB). Latimore & Haskell, p. 32; Riall, p.87. The Tonbridgian, vol. 23, no. 7, July 1918, p. 394. Quarto (241 x 172 mm). Colour frontispiece and 39 colour plates tipped to heavy off-white paper with grey background and frame, captioned tissue guards, line drawings in the text, all by Rackham. Vignette title page printed in black and brown. Bound in a red morocco prize binding by Bickers & Son in 1909, spine lettered in gilt and ruled in blind, gilt arms of Tonbridge school on front cover and the Skinners' Company on rear, twin gilt fillet on turn-ins, marbled endpapers, edges gilt, red silk bookmarker. Prize bookplate signed by Tonbridge headmaster Charles Lowry for Adrian Waterlow (see note). Rubbing to edges, internal foxing not affecting bright plates. A pleasingly bound copy.

Seller Inventory # 165553

Bibliographic Details

• Title: A Midsummer Night's Dream.
• Publisher: London: William Heinemann; Doubleday, Page & Co, New York, 1908
• Edition: 1st Edition