1927-28 The Complete Works of Sir John Vanbrugh

Description

Illustrated, Limited Edition, Publishers' Original Binding

A limited edition work, limited to 1410 copies, of which this is numbered 972.

Complete in four volumes.

A complete collection of the works of Sir John Vanbrugh, comprising of his important plays and his letters.

Vanbrugh was a very important figure of the Restoration, known for his outspoken comedies 'The Relapse' and 'The Provoked Wife', both of which are included in Volume One in this set. Both of those comedies were the subject of much controversy when first published.

Though Vanbrugh is noted as a playwright, he is also well regarded for his architectural exploits, creating what is now known as English Baroque - he designed both Blenheim Palace and Castle Howard.

Illustrated with a portrait frontispiece, two double paged architectural plans of Blenheim and Castle Howard, three double paged plates, and three plates to Volume IV. Collated, complete.

Published by the Nonesuch Press.

The Nonesuch Press specialised in limited edition and private press. They were founded by Francis Meynell, his second wife Vera Mendel and their friend David Garnett. Their aspiration was for their publications to be aligned with the same aesthetic standards as the private press movement. They were unusual as they used a small Albion press to design the books, but had them printed by commercial printers. In doing so, books with the quality of a fine-press were produced, but available to a wider audience at lower prices.

Plays edited by Bonamy Dobree, letters edited by Geoffrey Webb.