Sentiments and Similes of Shakespeare – Henry Noel Humphreys – 1857 | Early Papier Mâché Binding

1857 Sentiments and Similes Shakespeare edition is a thematic selection of excerpts from the works of William Shakespeare. The text groups passages under subject headings such as Ambition, Beauty, Honour, Truth, Time, Mercy, and others. Each section features short selections from Shakespeare’s plays and poems, drawn from works including Macbeth, Othello, Romeo and Juliet, King Lear, Much Ado About Nothing, Julius Caesar, and the Sonnets. The book is printed throughout in black and gold ink, with decorative borders framing the text. The first thematic section is introduced by a chromolithographed illuminated plate with ornamental theatrical imagery.

This edition arranges Shakespearean excerpts by subject and prints them without commentary. Each passage includes citation of the original play, character, and act. The layout is consistent throughout, with text enclosed in illuminated, ruled ornamental frames. The chromolithograph facing the “Ambition” section includes symbolic motifs and architectural forms, printed in color.

Papier mâché bindings were briefly used for decorative books during the 1840s–1860s. These covers were molded in high relief and lacquered in black. Their fragile structure makes intact examples uncommon. This edition reflects the period’s interest in decorative publishing and moralized literary selections.

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Sentiments and Similes of William Shakespeare
• Author(s): William Shakespeare
• Contributor(s): Henry Noel Humphreys
• Publisher: London: Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans
• Edition: Second Edition, 1857.
• Format: Small Octavo, single volume
• Binding: Black papier mâché with pierced design, red paper underlay, leather spine
• Size: 7.75 in × 6 in (20 cm × 15.5 cm)
• Collation: [4], 100 pp
• Illustrations: Chromolithographed first page; illuminated, bordered text throughout
• Contents Include:
  • Passages from Macbeth, King Lear, Othello, Julius Caesar, Romeo and Juliet, Much Ado About Nothing, Sonnets, and other works
• Provenance: Handwritten inscriptions: E. Freeman, in memory of her mother, 1897; [I. St. Vincent Jervis, from S.M.P]
  • Possibly related to the Jervis family and Viscounts St. Vincent, a title first awarded to John Jervis, (1735-1823) a British Royal Navy admiral and politician. He served throughout the latter half of the 18th century and into the 19th, and was an active commander during the Seven Years’ War, American War of Independence and the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. He is best known for his victory at the 1797 Battle of Cape St. Vincent, from which he earned his titles, and as a patron of Horatio Nelson.

Condition:

The book is bound in black papier mâché boards with pierced decorative work revealing red paper beneath. A central bronze-colored medallion is set into each board. Both boards exhibit cracks to the papier mâché, while three of the four corners are chipped. The spine is leather with a stamped title and shows edge wear and minor fraying at the head and tail. The inner hinges exhibit slight separation at head. All pages are present, with some scattered foxing and minor staining. Illumination on each page remains bright. The interior features bordered text printed in black and gold. The chromolithograph first page to “Ambition” is vibrant in full color.

Why Collect This?

• Original 1857 papier mâché binding with pierced decorative work
• Text printed in black and gold, uncommon for this type of gift book
• Thematic selections drawn from multiple Shakespeare works
• Rare survival of a fragile Victorian binding format

Item Number: #28669