The Complete Dramatic and Poetic Works of William Shakespeare, Shakespeare, William; Edited by Frederick D. Losey. Published by the John C. Winston Co., Philadelphia, 1926. First Edition edited by Losey. No additional printings on copyright page. 8vo up to 9½” tall., xvi, 1328pp. with frontispiece portrait; biography and an introduction to each play by Frederick D. Losey and with glossary and self-pronouncing index to characters. Red leather boards, with gilt titles to front and spine with decorative gilt embellishments; all edges gilt with red stain beneath; red endpapers; thumb index along fore-edge. Contents are in fine condition; some rubbing to spine and otherwise binding is in fine condition, tight and square. A beautiful copy.
When the John C. Winston Company advertised the “Losey” edition of Shakespeare’s Works in 1926, they offered it in two bindings – Extra cloth, gold top, gold stamping for $3.00 and French Morocco, limp, red under gold edges for $4.00; this copy is the latter.
Frederick Douglas Losey (1886-1932) was an American Shakespearian scholar and elocutionist and was considered “America’s greatest interpreter of Shakespeare.”
