1901 Shakespeare's Heroines by Mrs Jameson / Illustrated by Anning Bell

Here is a beautiful antique copy of Shakespeare's Heroines by Mrs Jameson. Full of gorgeous decorations and illustrations by R Anning Bell. Being a first edition thus, published in 1901 by JM Dent & Co., London. Jameson was one of the first critics to treat Shakespeare’s female characters as psychologically complex individuals. Her work helped pave the way for feminist literary criticism.

Each chapter focuses on a different Shakespearean heroine—like Ophelia, Desdemona, Portia, and of course, Miranda from The Tempest. Jameson examines their virtues, flaws, and emotional journeys, often contrasting them with societal expectations of women. She reflects on how Shakespeare’s women reflect or challenge the norms of Elizabethan society.

Inside the book opens onto decorative endpapers with an inked inscription to the front free endpaper, dated 1919. (The inscription has been crossed through - see photos). With a cracked hinge at the back, but in no way affecting the binding of the text block which is good and strong. Has a beautiful frontispiece with tissue guard opposite an illustrated title page. There are decorative headpieces at the beginning of each character's new chapter plus full-page line drawings of the heroines. All in black and red line. Gilt on the top edge, the other sides untrimmed.

Olive-green cloth over boards have gilt and dark green decoration to the front and spine. In very good order. Just some faint rubbing to cloth on the corners and spine ends - but minor. Clean, bright and un-faded. An extremely eye-catching book.

Your antique copy of Shakespeare's Heroines will be wrapped with care in tissue and ribbon* and sent well packaged. I am always happy to add a gift card with a message to the parcel.

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H 19 cm x W 14.5 cm, 379 pages, 0.61 kg. I dispatch worldwide daily from the UK. (There are just a very few countries which I am unable to ship to).

*If you would prefer for your book not to be decoratively wrapped but sent simply in the full protective packaging, please add a note to the order.

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