The Complete Works of William Congreve
Soho: The Nonesuch Press, 1923. Limited Edition. Hardcover. One of 900 sets, four volumes (complete), quarto size, total of approx. 1025 pp. Very good +. Item #231128050
William Congreve (1670-1729) "wrote some of the most popular English plays of the Restoration period", at a time when women themselves were just beginning to play female roles. In addition to being a playwright, he also penned two operas, wrote poetry, and translated the works of Molière, Homer, Ovid, and Horace - among other accomplishments (n.b., quote and info from Wiki).
This publication by The Nonesuch Press was the "first collected edition of Congreve's complete works", the plays reprinted from the original quartos; the publication also included "hitherto unpublished letters by Congreve" (n.b., from "A History of the Nonesuch Press" by John Dreyfus, pp. 177-178).
___DESCRIPTION: All volumes bound in quarter black cloth over blue paper-covered boards, blue paper spine labels with dark blue lettering, top edges rough-cut, fore- and bottom edges uncut, ornamental title page borders, limitation statement on the verso of the title page in Vol. 1, vintage bookseller's ticket (Paul Elder & Co., San Francisco) on the rear pastedowns; Monotype Caslon (titles and sub-titles in Stephenson Blake Old Face open) on machine-made laid paper with the "Nonesuch" watermark, quarto size (10 5/16" by 7 7/8"), pagination: Vol. 1, [i-x] xi-xiii [1, blank] [1-2] 3-255; Vol. 2, [i-viii] [1-2] 3-271; Vol. 3, [i-viii] [1-2] 3-235; and Vol. 4, [i-viii] [1-2] 3-226; this set no. 362 of 900.
___CONDITION: Overall the set is better than very good: the boards mostly clean with a few light marks and dustiness, the bindings strong and square with solid hinges, the interiors clean with the pages uniformly and lightly toned, and the only prior owner markings we see being the Ex-Libris of Ben Ray Redman (see Provenance, below); most of the corners bumped and lightly rubbed, the spine labels slightly sunned with some wear to the label for Vol. 1, light offsetting to the front free endpapers from the Ex-Libris. Note that the set was issued with glassine wrappers, in a slipcase, both of which are lacking with this set.
___CITATION: Dreyfus, no. 5.
___PROVENANCE: With the Ex-Libris of Ben Ray Redman (1896-1961) in each volume (artist's name indecipherable). Redman "was described upon his death as a debonair gentleman-scholar type, an authentic bookman who was born for a part in a Noel Coward play. A prolific writer of book reviews, he contributed pieces to the New York Times, Harper's, and the American Mercury" among much more (n.b., quote from Redman's obit in the online"Greenwich Village Bookshop Door").
___POSTAGE: Please note that this is an unusually heavy set and additional postage will apply; please inquire for details.
___Swan's Fine Books is pleased to be a member of the ABAA, ILAB, and IOBA and we stand behind every book we sell. Please contact us with any questions you may have, we are here to help.
Price: $200.00