OWNED BY A PROMINENT VICTORIAN PSYCHIATRIST: The Dramatic Works of William Shakespeare, with Remarks on his Life and Writings

The book bears the College’s gilt crest to the upper board, dated 1829, the year the college was founded and the ownership inscription ‘John Thomas Arlidge 1846’ to the front free endpaper. Attractively embossed calf boards in near very good condition, tooled to edges in gilt, featuring a striking gilt emblem to front, some shelf wear to edges and corners as expected, minor abrasions. A new 6 panelled spine has been relaid in the mid 1900’s. Gilt edged text block remains in very good condition. Marbled endpapers very good. Preliminaries age toned, damp stained to lower half of frontispiece and title page. Frontispiece depicts William Shakespeare and has otherwise been very well protected by original tissue guard. Binding square and sound. Leaves within clean and unmarked. 960 pp.

Arlidge (1822-1899) was born in Chatham, educated at Kings and practised first in London then Staffordshire where he became physician to the north Staffordshire Infirmary. His notebooks are held at the Royal College of Psychiatry.