Peg Woffington. With An Introduction By Austin Dobson And Illustrations By Hugh Thomson. Reade, Charles. Dobson, Austin, Edited By. Thomson, Hugh, Illustrated By.

8vo. 7.25 x 5 inches. li + [i] + 297 + [2] pp. Bound in original red decorative cloth, gilt. All edges gilt. Slight wear to corners and spine lightly sunned, but otherwise a fine clean copy. Illustrated by frontispiece, engraved vignette title and by numerous text figures, including whole page. Decorated by head, tail and endpiece vignettes and by publisher's device on verso of half title. The first published novel (1853) by Charles Reade (1814-84), dramatist and novelist. It was inspired by his popular stage play Masks and Faces which portrayed the London success of the Irish actress Peg Woffington (1720-1760) and also featured other prominent figures of the time such as David Garrick. Austin Dobson (1840-1921), poet and literary biographer worked as a civil servant at the Board of Trade, 1856-1901. Illustrations by Hugh Thomson (1860-1920), who additionally designed the attractive binding, Irish born artist famous for his pen and ink work in editions of the classics. FICTION THEATRE LIT. FICTION 19TH CENTURY ILLUSTRATED FINE BINDING FICTION