1890 Tales from Shakespeare Lamb Fine Red Calf Prize Binding

A beautifully presented 1890 edition of Tales from Shakespeare by Charles and Mary Lamb, published in London by Bickers & Son. First written as an accessible introduction to Shakespeare’s plays, the Lambs’ retellings became one of the best-loved 19th-century ways to bring Shakespeare to younger and general readers.

This copy stands out for its full red calf prize binding, with gilt tooling to the spine and boards, raised bands, a black spine label, and a gilt-stamped institutional emblem on the front cover. It also includes twelve illustrations from the Boydell Gallery, including the frontispiece, and retains its prize provenance, with a Strathallan House bookplate awarding First Prize to Edith Pybus at Christmas 1891. A strong copy for collectors of Shakespeare, Victorian leather bindings, and prize books with named provenance.

[d]Author | Charles Lamb and Mary Lamb [d]Title | Tales from Shakespeare [d]Publisher | Bickers and Son [d]Date | 1890 [d]Binding | Full red calf leather, gilt tooled spine and boards, raised bands, black spine label, marbled endpapers [d]Illustrations | Twelve plates in permanent photography from the Boydell Gallery, including illustrated frontispiece [d]Origin | England [d]Place of Publication | London (1 Leicester Square) [d]Provenance | Strathallan House prize bookplate, First Prize awarded to Edith Pybus, Christmas 1891, signed J. H. Spark [d]Language | English

[condition] This copy presents well overall, with moderate wear appropriate to its age and to a book that has been meaningfully used. The red leather shows rubbing and shelf wear, most noticeable along the joints and at the head and tail of the spine, with some early cracking beginning at the outer hinges. The boards remain firmly attached, and the binding retains its structural integrity. Internally, the pages are clean and readable throughout, with light age toning and scattered foxing, most concentrated on the preliminary leaves and around the illustrated plates, including light spotting on the title page. The prize bookplate and period inscriptions are present, complete, and legible, and are consistent with a school award copy of this period. They add traceable history and character rather than detracting from the reading experience.