Description
An appealing vintage edition of William Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Hamlet from the respected New Hudson Shakespeare series, published by Ginn and Company and copyrighted in 1909. Designed for serious literary study, this scholarly edition combines the complete play with extensive explanatory notes, textual variants, historical commentary, and handsome period typography.
A particularly interesting feature is the inclusion of facsimile title pages from early printed editions of Hamlet, including the historically important 1603 First Quarto and the 1611 Fourth Quarto. These pages illustrate the complicated early publication history of one of Shakespeare’s greatest tragedies.
The book also preserves the character of an authentic period study copy. An early owner signed the front endpaper and recorded a New York City address. Pencil annotations and interpretive notes appear in portions of the text, including a thoughtful handwritten observation inspired by Hamlet’s famous statement that nothing is good or bad except through human perception.
Key features include:
* Copyright 1909 by Ginn and Company
* Printed by the Athenaeum Press in the United States
* Introduction and notes by Henry Norman Hudson
* Edited and revised by Ebenezer Charlton Black
* Produced with the cooperation of Andrew Jackson George
* Facsimile of the 1603 First Quarto title page
* Facsimile of the 1611 Fourth Quarto title page
* Text based principally upon the Second Quarto of 1604
* Comparative readings from the First Folio and other editions
* Decorative title page with orange lettering and ornate Shakespeare border
* Early New York ownership inscription
* Period pencil notes and literary annotations
The dark cloth hardcover shows expected rubbing and edge wear from age and use, with wear to the spine ends, corners, and exterior lettering. The binding remains intact, and the interior retains its attractive scholarly and historical features. The annotations enhance its identity as a genuinely used early Shakespeare study volume.
A desirable addition to a Shakespeare collection, antique literature library, theatrical collection, or display of early academic books. Please view all the photos for the binding, facsimile pages, ownership inscription, annotations, and overall condition.
