Premium Easton Press Collection

5-Volume Deluxe Genuine Leather Lot — Classic Drama & Poetry

This exceptional curated lot features five masterwork volumes from the Easton Press library, celebrating foundational pillars of English poetry, Victorian verse, and timeless European theatrical drama. Each heirloom-quality volume is bound in premium genuine leather with distinctive hubbed spines, ornate 22kt gold gilt tooling, all page edges gilt, a sewn-in satin ribbon page marker, and heavy moire fabric endpapers.

1. Three Plays: A Doll's House, Ghosts, An Enemy of the People — Henrik Ibsen

• Format & Binding: 6 7/8 x 10 inches tall. Handsome slate grey genuine leather with custom gilt designs to the covers, four raised bands, and bright gilt lettering to the spine. Features orange moire endpapers, all page edges gilt, and a satin ribbon marker sewn in.
• Art & Text: Utilizes the definitive, universally praised English translations revised by William Archer. The text is heavily elevated by the striking, moody, and historically accurate illustrations of Fredrik Matheson.
• Significance: Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen is widely celebrated as the father of modern realism and a foundational force in realist drama. His sharp social critiques tore through societal hypocrisies, deeply addressing individual autonomy, marital entrapment, and political corruption.
• Condition: Near Fine (NF); an unread, exceptionally bright copy.

2. Two Plays: Tartuffe & The Would-Be Gentleman — Molière

• Format & Binding: 6 3/4 x 10 1/4 inches tall. Vibrant crimson red genuine leather with intricate gilt design to the covers, three raised bands, and gilt lettering to the spine. Features matching orange moire endpapers, all page edges gilt, and a silk ribbon marker sewn in.
• Art & Text: Presented in the classic, witty English verse translations of H. Baker and J. Miller. The volume features the highly stylized, elegant line illustrations of Serge Ivanoff.
• Significance: Jean-Baptiste Poquelin, known by his stage name Molière, remains the undisputed master of classical French comedy. His timeless satirical plays brilliantly skewered religious pretense and bourgeois social climbing, establishing new benchmarks for theatrical wit.
• Condition: Very slight, minor cosmetic soiling to the outer leather covers; otherwise a beautiful, crisp Near Fine copy internally and structurally.

3. She Stoops to Conquer — Oliver Goldsmith

• Format & Binding: Oversized 8 x 11 inches tall. Majestic deep blue genuine leather with opulent gilt theatrical decorations to the covers, two heavy raised bands, and bright gilt lettering to the spine. Complemented by pale orange moire endpapers, all page edges gilt, and a matching ribbon marker sewn in.
• Art & Text: Illustrated with the vibrant, meticulously detailed, and historicized drawings of legendary American designer and artist T.M. Cleland.
• Significance: Oliver Goldsmith's 1773 masterpiece remains one of the most popular and enduring comedies of manners in the history of English theatre. Witty, fast-paced, and full of hilarious cases of mistaken identity, it successfully restored laughing comedy to a stage dominated by overly sentimental drama.
• Condition: Near Fine; tight binding, brilliant gilding, and completely unmarked.

4. The Poems of Robert Browning

• Format & Binding: 6 1/2 x 10 1/2 inches tall. Rich brown genuine leather with an elegant gilt design to the covers, four prominent raised bands, and bright gilt lettering to the spine. Features deep orange moire endpapers, all page edges gilt, and a matching silk ribbon marker sewn in.
• Art & Text: Richly decorated throughout with the bold, highly textured wood-engravings of renowned British printmaker Peter Reddick. Features an insightful introduction by Kirk Savage.
• Significance: Robert Browning was a master of the Victorian dramatic monologue, celebrated for his dark humor, psychological depth, and complex historical settings. His revolutionary verse explored the gray areas of human motivation, profoundly influencing generations of modernist poets.
• Condition: Near Fine (NF); sharp corners and exceptionally bright gilt accents.

5. The Poems of John Keats

• Format & Binding: 6 1/2 x 10 1/2 inches tall. Deluxe crimson red genuine leather with ornate gilt framing designs to the covers, four heavy raised bands, and sharp gilt lettering to the spine. Includes brilliant orange moire endpapers, all page edges gilt, and a classic satin ribbon marker sewn in.
• Art & Text: Features a brilliant critical introduction by literary scholar Aileen Ward and is heavily elevated by the lyrical, evocative illustrations of celebrated British artist David Gentleman.
• Significance: John Keats stands as an immortal luminary of the English Romantic movement, achieving lasting poetic greatness before his tragic passing at age twenty-five. His rich sensual imagery, exquisite odes, and deep meditations on beauty and mortality remain some of the highest achievements in the English language.
• Condition: Near Fine; clean, unmarked, and structurally flawless.

Books are carefully packed and padded in heavy-duty boxes to ensure safe transit to your collection.