The Tempest. de Shakespeare, William

Illustrated by Edmund Dulac. Hodder and Stoughton. London. 1908 (Ist Edition Thus). Sup 8vo, 144pp. Hardcover, rebound in light green cloth with a gilt design adhered to front board likely from the original olive green cloth with a further gilt title on dark green adhered to the new spine as well, all in excellent condition with no d/w as issued, text is in excellent condition with very minor foxing throughout though none at all on any of the 40 tipped-in plates by Dulac each with its own annotated paper guard. Printed on fine rag paper though with new cream endpapers and no prior owner's marks internally Though undated, this is likely to be the 1908 first Dulac illustrated edition rebound beautifully in Armidale Australia. Obviously the value of this volume is from the superb tipped-in plates of the famous Frenchman Edmund Dulac (1882 - 1953) who, following British naturalisation was commissioned by Hodder and Stoughton to produce one superbly illustrated "giftbook" each year. He worked largely in watercolours as a children's book and magazine illustrator . This volume is one for the collectors of great illustrators of the twentieth century including Rackham and Heath Robinson and it is a true Dulac masterpiece . There is an excellent story Preface by A.T Quiller-Couch pertaining of course to this famous Shakespearian play.