A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare - 1895

London: J M Dent & Co, 1895 A scarce nineteenth century edition of Midsummer Night's Dream designed and illustrated by Robert Anning Bell. Edited with an introduction by Israel Gollancz. Robert Anning Bell (1863-1933) was an influential artist, working in a variety of media including mosaic and stained glass. He made a name in book design and illustration in the closing years of the nineteenth century. This copy is in the original decorative cloth binding with gilt decoration and titles to the front board, and gilt titles to the spine. The front board is bright with some fading to edges. The corners have some wear. The spine is faded with some pulling. The back board has a small indentation to the bottom edge, a small mark and slight grubbiness. Corners with light wear. Internally the decorative endpapers are present - the front pastedown has an ownership section, which has been neatly filled out, showing that the book was a Christmas present to his niece, Margarite, by Herbert Kynaston in 1895. Contents are in very good clean condition - with numerous designs and illustrations. The endpapers have light browning and the pages are lightly toned. Top page edges gilt, remainder untrimmed.