Wikipedia adds a little spotlight to this find:
William James Rolfe, Litt.D.(1827–1910) was an American Shakespearean scholar and educator, born in Newburyport, Massachusetts on December 10, 1827.These little, red books have sharp illustrations and comprehensive introductions by Rolfe. Now this is where I get downright, uh, nerdy, but how remarkable that I’m holding a book from many decades past and in such pristine condition! Actually the first copyright was 1870—a hundred years before I was born—containing words that are around 415 years old! As a humble publisher and pulp hack, I would be exceedingly glad to be remembered thirty minutes from now let alone the century mark.
He graduated from Amherst in 1849, and between 1852 and 1868 was head master of high schools at Dorchester, Lawrence, Salem, and Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Early in his career, he edited selections from Ovid and Virgil and (in collaboration) the Cambridge Course of Physics (six volumes, 1867–68).
His Shakespearean work began with an edition of George Lillie Craik’s English of Shakespeare (1867). This led to the preparation of a complete edition - the Friendly Edition - of Shakespeare (forty volumes, 1870–83; new edition, 1903–07).
Yeah. Small chance, but perchance to dream, right?
12 comments:
Easy to feel filled with awe as you hold an old book, made back when they were meant to last, like this one. Also with time taken to provide nifty illustrations. Imagination reaches for a mental picture of headmaster Rolfe who gave so much of himself to this project.
BTW, isn't 2014 the Bard's 450th birthday?
Just checked. 450 years. What a run, huh? And yes on Rolfe, Ron. And I also see that same pride and attention in another writer/teacher/researcher I will have the pleasure of publishing very soon. With the initials R.S.
What a fascinating find.
For sure.
Awesome. I too feel the awe in that kind of experience.
Glad to know I'm not the only, ah, strange one, Charles.
There's really nothing like this, except maybe old tools and things like that that have stood the test of time.
Yeah, I have some friends that have machines/tools going back to the mid-19th century. Once again, craftsmanship that made it and the love that keeps 'em going is admirable.
Great find, David! This book goes back generations. As soon as I read your post, I looked up my grandfather's hard copy of the bard's Complete Works—it turned out to be a 1965 reprint by The English Library with an introduction by Shakespearean scholar and academic, Peter Alexander. Someday I hope to read it.
Old books have always held sway over me. I'm drawn to them like a moth to a flame.
I saw this performed at Stratford in Ontario this summer in a knockout production. The anti-semitism always gets me though.
Amen, Dyer.
Patti, I've read, for this post, that there is quite a continuing debate over anti-Semitism and the Merchant of Venice.
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