Tales from Shakespeare by Charles and Mary Lamb, published in London by Bickers & Son in 1890, is a beautifully presented example of 19th-century educational publishing. This edition was intended to make Shakespeare’s complex plays more accessible to young readers and the general public, translating them into easily digestible prose while preserving their moral and thematic richness. With stories adapted from both comedies and tragedies, the Lamb siblings' retellings were part of a broader Victorian effort to blend literature and moral instruction.
What sets this volume apart is its striking red full calf leather prize binding, featuring an elegant gilt-stamped emblem to the front board for South Kensington-Strathallan House, a well-known academic institution. The binding is richly tooled in gilt along the spine compartments and borders, with a black leather spine label and eye-catching marbled page edges that show beautifully when fanned. The raised bands and intricate gilt designs speak to the high level of craftsmanship expected of a presentation prize book during the late Victorian period.
