The New-Century Shakespeare.

Boston: Dana Estes and Company,, 1900-01. A beautiful Gilded Age set Edition des Amateurs, number 6 of 100 copies printed on japon and handsomely bound. The aim of the New-Century Shakespeare was to provide, at the turn of the century, a new deluxe edition of the works, "faultless in every detail of mechanical execution, copiously and artistically illustrated... with an authoritative text" (Introduction). The New York Times commented on the edition in its contemporary report of the deluxe book market: "As the art of bookmaking has reached a high stage of development, familiarity with the best trade workmanship has made certain buyers demand further perfection of detail, for which reason publishers are issuing editions de luxe,... the New Century Shakespeare, for instance,... with complete Shakespearean commentaries by the best authorities, variorum readings, a general introduction, life, and many other interesting features" (29 Dec. 1900, p. 964). The present set was printed and bound ad personam for William Whiting (1841-1911). Whiting was an American philanthropist, politician, paper manufacturer, and founder of the Whiting Paper Company in Holyoke, Massachusetts. He also founded the construction of the Holyoke Opera House, a venue which featured performances by leading actors of the day. 24 vols, octavo (230 x 153 mm). With numerous photogravure plates with captioned tissues in two states, the second state printed on japon. Publisher's deluxe crushed brown morocco by Macdonald & Allen, Boston, spines with gilt dotted raised bands, gilt lettering and decoration in compartments, covers and board edges respectively ruled in blind and in gilt, elaborate gilt roll to turn-ins, patterned endpapers, top edges gilt, others untrimmed with numerous uncut gatherings. Bookplate of William Whiting (1841-1911) to front pastedown of each volume. A bright and square set, minor rubbing to extremities and light marks to covers, expertly retouched, superficial splits to inner hinges of a couple of vols, text block cracked in vol. I between last leaf and endpapers, and in vol. VI before half-title, book blocks all remaining firm; a wide-margined copy presenting attractively on the shelf.