The Tragicall Historie of Hamlet Prince of Denmarke DOVES PRESS / Shakespeare, William RARE BOOKS

Large 8vo, 9 3/8 x 6 5/8 inches (235 x 162 mm); 158, (2), 23 Appendix, (1) pp. Printed in black and red with a calligraphed initial in green ink by Edward Johnston. Original limp vellum by the Doves Bindery with gilt lettering. One of 250 copies (+ 15 on vellum). In excellent condition with very light toning of the vellum and paper edges. Small embossed stamp "Ger Keis" to lower edge of last fly leaf. [Ransom 17, p. 252; Steele 62; Franklin 279 - 2nd ed.; Tomkinson 17]. Hamlet marked the first of four Shakespeare plays printed by Cobden-Sanderson. The text of the play is taken from the Second Quarto with additions from the First Folio and punctuation corrections by T. J. Cobden-Sanderson It contains the famous flourished opening initial "W" calligraphed by Edward Johnston in green.