{"1": {"fulltext": "", "height": "2810", "width": "1709", "jp2-path": "prospectusforpub00spoo_0001.jp2"}, "2": {"fulltext": "", "height": "2804", "width": "1628", "jp2-path": "prospectusforpub00spoo_0002.jp2"}, "3": {"fulltext": "PR 2883\\n.B6 S6\\n1849\\nCopy 1 8gS-g8S8ai -gg\u00c2\u00bb SSS8 ga-^\u00c2\u00ab8B\u00c2\u00abag-!\u00c2\u00a7 gSg^t^f^^-i^^g^j^gS^Sj^^SSg^i^^\\nII FMIFlSTlOfi ill\\nIII SP |c?j\\ng FOR PUBLISHING g|\\n\u00c2\u00ab1 AN ^^ftP\\nIII AiiiMcii mimm III\\nm \u00c2\u00abp ihe\\nQ^fk/^ or ^N^\\\\?ep\\n(iy,\\nli^ BOYDELL S ll^\\nili s \\\\m f\\n3Uu5tvatiDU0 of Sl)ak0})eavc,\\nc\u00c2\u00ab; W hd S 1*1 1^\\ni\\nI THIRD EDITION-. f||\\nvHv crt- Iv\\n8; /w 8; f.-\\nIII o* PI )tv\\n8jii\u00c2\u00ab\\nli^ NEW YORK: |f|/g\\ni g S. SPOONER, 106 LIBERTY-STREET ^\u00c2\u00a7j g\\nrfi? /A^f\u00c2\u00bb J. J. Recti, Printer, 16 Spriice-st. o+ 4\\\\ Jgj\\n11 Ill\\n184 9. t,U6", "height": "2804", "width": "1628", "jp2-path": "prospectusforpub00spoo_0003.jp2"}, "4": {"fulltext": "NOTICE.\\nThe Proprietor has the gratification to announce to the subscribers oi\\nthe American edition of Boydell s Illustrations of Shakspeare, that he has\\nsucceeded far beyond his most sanguine expectations. Many obstacles\\nand difficulties which at first presented themselves, have been gradually\\novercome. Sixteen of the plates, the most worn in the whole series,\\nhave been fully restored to their original proof state, and several others\\nare in the hands of the engravers, in process of restoration. Tiius, in\\nlittle more than one year, we have restored nearly one-fourth part of the\\nentire work, which will enable me to issue the work regularly in monthly\\nparts, as stated in the Prospectus. It may not be amiss to state that the\\nplates came into my possession more than six years ago, that I purchased\\nliicm with tlie intention to restore them, and that I found it impossible to\\nobtain such services as would ensure the success of the undei taking, until\\nit was my good fortune to secure the services of Mr. George Parker, who\\nlias the entire supervision of the work. This gentleman, in addition to\\nIlls great knowledge and skill in the art of engraving, has all the enthu-\\nsiasm of his old preceptor, Robert Thew, who was Alderman Eoydell s\\nright hand man in getting up the work originally, and who engraved some\\nof the most admired plates. This fact, in connection with his intimate\\nknowledge of tlie work, and early acquaintance witli many of the distin-\\nguished artists originally engaged upon it, are a sufficient guaranty that\\nno efforts on his part will be spared to make the work fully equal to the\\nfirst proofs struck by Boydell himself. No expense will certainly be\\nspared on my part to effect this obj-ect, and as I commenced the restoration\\nwith the firm and deliberate determination to prosecute it to its entire\\ncompletion, I have made such arrangements as will effect this object be-\\nyond the doubt of any probable contingency. Indeed, since we com-\\nmenced operations, several hundred of the first artists, engravers, connois-\\nseurs, and literary men in the country Iiave examined the work in progress,\\nand compared the proofs taken from the restored plates with the original\\nSee third page of Cover", "height": "2804", "width": "1628", "jp2-path": "prospectusforpub00spoo_0004.jp2"}, "5": {"fulltext": "z\\n6c,\\nPROSPECTUS.\\nThe subscriber having, by a train of fortunate\\ncircumstances, become possessed of all the ori-\\nginal one hundred copper-plates of Boydell s\\nfolio Illustrations of Shakspeare, and believing\\nHow came tliey here It has been intimated to us that the original\\nplates of Boydell s large lUastrations of Shakspeare are in the posses-\\nbIou of a gentleman of this city, who is haying- them retouched, frith the\\nintention of publishing an edition of them. We very much doubt the\\ntruth of the intimation, as the plates, weighing near two tons, cost the\\nBoydells over a million of dollars. If the plates were here, they would\\nbe a great curiosity and treasure, biit it will be a greater curiosity if\\nany Shakspeare humbug can be played upon the Yankees at this late day.\\n\u00e2\u0080\u0094The Sun, Jaii. Qih.\\nThe Shakspeare Plates.\\nTo the Editor of the Sun. Dear Sir Observing a paragraph respect-\\ning the Boydell Shakspeare Plates, I think it my duty (knowing the\\nfact) to infoi m you the plates are the original, and were sent to this\\ncountry about four years since, and were purchased by Dr. Spooner, who\\nis having them recut at an enormous expense. The first cost, Mr. Boy-\\ndell informs us in the preface of the work, was over five millions of dollars,\\nincluding the original paintings they were engraved from. I have no\\ninterest in this statement but the dissemination of truth. Dr, Spooner\\nbought the splendid copy of proof impressions at the sale of the lato\\nliidel Town, to have them recut from. Yours, respectfully,\\nTALBOT WATTS.\\nMany Artists. Any one who is in possession of the copper-plates, con-\\ntaining the engravings of what was called the Shakspeare Gallery, has\\nthe identical plates belonging to Alderman Boydell. How they got here\\nWe know not, but there was only this gallery this series of pictures\\npublished. Sunday Times and NoaKs Weekly Messenger^ Jan. 9th.\\n^^Many Artists, consider that the report relative to Boydell s Shak-\\nsjieare Gallery being at present in this country, must be meant to hum-\\nbug the community. It is no doubt true. AH the plates have been pur-\\nchased, are here, and are in process of being retouched by the engraver,", "height": "2804", "width": "1580", "jp2-path": "prospectusforpub00spoo_0005.jp2"}, "6": {"fulltext": "2 PROSPECTUS.\\nthat he would render the public a service by-\\nrestoring them to their original beauty, applied\\nhimself with diligence to effect this object. As\\na work of art, in design, in execution, in unlim-\\nited outlay of time and money, in the employ-\\nment of the best talent in Great Britain, and in\\nthe patronage and cordial support of the king,\\nWe saw one of the retouched plates, which looked nearly as good as a\\nproof print. We understood the owner to say he had 100 plates and they\\ncan be no other than Boydell s mammoth work. Sunday Times and\\nNoah s Weekly Messenger^ Jan. 1 Qth.\\nFrom the Commcjcial AdveTtiser, Feb. 1.\\nA Crmious Piece of History. About the year 1785, Alderman J. Boy-\\ndell, of London, conceived the project of establishing a Shakspeare\\nGallery, upon a scale of grandeur and magnificence which should be in\\naccordance with the fame of the poet, and, at the same time, reflect honor\\nupon the state of the arts in Great Britain and throughout- the world\\nMr. Boydell was at this time a man of great wealth and influence, and a\\npatron of the fine arts, being an engraver himself, and having accumu-\\nlated his fortune mostly by dealings in works of that character.\\nHe advertised for designs from artists throughout Great Britain, and\\npaid a guinea for every one submitted, whether accepted or not and for\\nevery one accepted by the committee, a prize of one hundred giiinens.\\nThe committee for selecting these designs was composed of five eminent\\nartists, Boydell himself being the president. The first painters of the\\nage were then employed to paint these pictures, among whom were Sir\\nJoshua Reynolds, Sir Benjamin West, Fuseli, Romney, Northcote,\\nSmirke, Sir William Becchy and Opie.\\nAllan Cunningham, in his Lives of Eminent British Artists, men\\ntions that Sir Joshua Reynolds was at first opposed to Boydell s project\\nas impracticable on such an immense scale, and Boydell, to gain his appro\\nbation and assistance, privately sent him a letter enclosing a jEI 000 Ban!-,\\nof England note, and requesting him to paint two pictures at his owa\\nprice. What sum was eventually paid by Boydell for these pictures was\\nnever known. A magnificent building was erected in Pall Mall to ex-\\nhibit this immense collection, called the Shakspeare Gallery, and was\\nfor a long time the pride of Loudon.\\nThe first engravers of England were employed to transfer these gems", "height": "2804", "width": "1628", "jp2-path": "prospectusforpub00spoo_0006.jp2"}, "7": {"fulltext": "PROSPECTUS, 3\\nnobility and gentry of England, BoydelFs Illus-\\ntrations of Shakspeare stands pre-eminent and\\nwholly unrivalled.^\\nAfter having finished a number of the plates,\\nthe most v/orn and difficult to be restored, and\\ntaken proofs from them, all the most distin-\\nguished artists, engravers, and connoisseurs, in\\nto copper, and such artists as Sharp, Bartolozzi, Earlom, Thew, Simon,\\nMiddiman, Watson, Fyttler, Wilson, and many otliers, exerted their tal-\\nents for years in this great V fork. In some instances the labor of raoro\\nthan five years was expended on a single plate, and proof impressions\\nTvere taken for subscribers at almost every stage of the \u00e2\u0096\u00a0work. At length\\nin 1803, after nearly twenty years, the work was completed. The price\\nfixed (which was never reduced) was two guineas each, for the first 300\\nimiDressionS; and the subscription list was then filled up at one guinea\\neach, or one hundred guineas a set, of one hundred plates.\\nBesides these subscriptions, large donations were made by many of the\\nnoblemen of England, to encourage the undertaking and to enable Boy-\\ndell to meet his enormous outlay. The cost of the whole work, from the\\ncommeucemcnt, is said to have been more than one million pounds ster-\\nling and although the projector was a wealthy man when he com-\\nmenced it, he died ^oon after its completion, a bankrupt to the amount, it\\nis said, of \u00c2\u00a3250,000.\\nAfter these plates were issued, Boy dell petitioned Parliament to allow\\nhim to dispose of his gallery of paintings by a lottery. The petition was\\ngranted, and the whole collection was thus disposed of. One of the\\nfinest of these pictures, King Lear, by Sir Benjamin West, is now in tho\\nBoston AthensBum.\\nOne fact in relation to these plates gives great value to them. All\\nthe principal historical characters are genuine portraits of the persons\\nrepresented in the play every picture-gallery and old castle in England\\nwas ransacked to furnish these portraits.\\nAfter a certain number of copies had been taken fi-om the plates they\\nwere laid aside, some of them having been worn but little, while others\\nrequired much labor to restore them to their original beauty. A few\\ncopies of the work have been brought to this country at different times,\\nand are now to be found in the hands of amateurs, and in public libraries.\\nMany of the single prints have been sold m this city at from 15 to 25\\ndollars each. But it is now almost impossible to procure them at any price,", "height": "2804", "width": "1580", "jp2-path": "prospectusforpub00spoo_0007.jp2"}, "8": {"fulltext": "4 PROSPECTUS.\\nthe city of New York, were invited to examine\\nand Jicrutinize the work, and to compare criti-\\ncally these proofs with the best copies in Ameri-\\nca, some of which were engraver s proofs before\\nthe letter. The result of this trial has been most\\nsatisfactory and the subscriber has, upon their\\ndecision, and by the advice of his friends and the\\nand nothing but tlie occasional breaking up of a public, or extensive pri-\\nvate library, gives any opportunity of procuring them.\\nBy some means which cannot now be accounted for, all the plates have\\nfound their way to this country, and the one hundred, weighing nearly\\n4000 pounds, have been purchased by Dr. S. Spooner, of this city. This\\ngentleman, who has long been conversant with works of art, has been\\nfor many months silently but steadily pushing on the work of restoring\\ntho plates, and has been peculiarly fortunate in securing the services of\\nMr- George Parker, an engraver of no ordinary merit. It is a little sin-\\ngular that this gentleman was a pupil of the celebrated Thew, when\\nthe latter was engaged on these same plates originally, and as Thew\\nwas considered almost the inventor of the art of stipple engraving, it\\nwill be seen that there is every reason to suppose Mr. Parker well qual-\\nified to do justice to the work. Dr. Spooner spares no pains or money\\nin the prosecution of the labor, and has succeeded in restoring a num-\\nber of the plates to such perfection that proofs from them cannot be dis-\\ntinguished from the original impressions. Some two years will be con-\\nsumed in accomplishing the entire restoration and publication, and al-\\nthough he will be obliged to expend a large sum of money, there can be\\nno doubt that he will be compensated by the admirers of the arts in the\\nUnited States.\\nFrom the ^ome Journal, Feb. 14.\\nTHE FINE ARTS IN AMERICA.\\nSomething more than fifty years ago, England imported from France^\\nHolland. Germany, and other portions of Europe, almost all the specimens\\nof good engraving to be found in that kingdom. By the exertions of a\\nsingle individual, aided by national taste and patronage, in less than\\ntwenty years this trade was entirely changed, and Great Britain supplied\\nfor a length of time, the rest of the civilized world with almost all that\\n13 beautiful and meritorious, in this branch of the Fine Arts. Napoleon,\\n\u00e2\u0096\u00a0with his strong arm, and bold policy, tore from European kings and no-", "height": "2804", "width": "1628", "jp2-path": "prospectusforpub00spoo_0008.jp2"}, "9": {"fulltext": "PROSPECTUS. 5\\nlovers of tiie Fine Arts, determined to pusli the\\nwork to its entire completion as rapidly as the\\nnecessity for accuracy and care will admit.\\nTo those who may not he acquainted with this\\ngreat work, the subscriber begs leave to say that\\nit contains 100 plates, all of which are perfect\\nstudies, having from ten to twenty full-length fig-\\nbles, all those monuments of genius and cultivation, witli which peace\\nhad enriched their palaces and castles and, while these trophies still\\nadorned the walls of the Louvre, with characteristic sagacity, he took\\nmeasures to have these beautiful paintings transferred to copper, by the\\nfirst artists of the age. This was the first check which England and\\nEnglish artists experienced in the growing monopoly of their own bu-\\nrines. But during this harvest of British engravers, one monument was\\nerected to the glory of the Arts in England, by John Boydell, afterwards\\nLord Mayor of London, which no subsequent efforts of genius or wealth\\nseem at all likely to eclipse or rival. Selecting a subject which belongs\\nto, and equally interests the whole civilized world, he lavished millions\\nof dollars upon a work, which no individual, or even government, will\\never again undertake to duplicate. Thirty-two painters, and thirty en-\\ngravers, were employed with a princely liberality and all that wealthj\\nperseverance, enthusiasm, and a kingly patronage, could do, was done in\\ntwenty years labor, to produce that magnificent work, BoydeWs One\\nHundred Illustrations of Skakspeare.\\nBut the author of this immense undertaking, although he placed his\\nname among the highest on the list, as a noble patron of the Arts, and\\ngave an energetic and powerful impulse to the cultivation of those Arts,\\nwhich will never be lost or forgotten, yet, in doing it, he beggared him-\\nself, and died in 1804, at the age of 85, almost broken-hearted at not\\nbeing able to bestow upon the British public his immense gallery of\\npaintings as a gift worthy of their acception.\\nLnmediately after Boydell s death, this whole collection of pictures,\\nwas scattered over the world but one of them, it is believed, ever find-\\ning its way to America; and that can be seen in the Boston Athenaeum.\\nBut the copper-plates, upon which all these paintings have been so accu-\\nrately and so beautifully copied, after having been suffered to lie idle\\nfor many years, have at last caught the spirit of emigration, have crossed\\nthe Atlantic, been landed in this city and having fallen into the hands\\nof Dr. Spooner, who, knowing how to appreciate them, they will, under", "height": "2804", "width": "1580", "jp2-path": "prospectusforpub00spoo_0009.jp2"}, "10": {"fulltext": "6 PEOSPECTirS.\\nures in the foreground, most of which are genuine\\nportraits, in every variety of grouping and compo-\\nsition, and every human passion faithfully delin-\\neated, forming a series of the most original pictures\\never executed. It is also believed that nothing\\ncan be done that will have so great a tendency\\nto cultivate a taste for the fine arts, in our country,\\nthe burine of Parker and other artists, in the course of eighteen months,\\nbe fully restored to all tlieir former beauty. A portion of them are\\nalready finished and we have compared proofs from those completed\\nwith a fine copy of the work struck by Boydell, and which was the pro-\\nperty of the late Ithiel Town, of New Haven and the most skilful con-\\nnoisseur in such matters cannot detect the least diiierence between the\\ntwo.\\nIt certainly must be considered a fortunate circumstance that the\\nAmerican public are now to reap the advantage of the great original out-\\nlay on this work and althotsgh some $30,000 will necessarily be ex-\\npended upon it by its present owner, yet the copies will be offered to\\nsubscribers at so low a price as will enable every gentleman who posses-\\nses a library^ to add a set of these fine illustrations to it, and which will\\ndo much towards cultivating a taste for the Fine Arts on this side of the\\nAtlantic.\\nThus, whilst the van of our nation is marching boldly across the con-\\ntinent, carrying the blessings of civilization, and a free government, to\\nthe shores of the Pacific, the great masses of the Anglo-Saxon race ^who\\nswarm our eastern cities, are scattered along the vallies of our noble\\nrivers, and the borders of our great lakes will be steadily and constant-\\nly making progress in all the Arts and Sciences, which have hei etofore\\nenriched and refined the inhabitants of Europe and a few centuries\\nheace Will find America great ^in her jTopulation, great in her produc-\\ntions and resoiirces, and great in all the refinements of society and taste^\\nwithout the viees and miseries, which degrade and stultify the nations ol\\nthe old world.\\nFro^ the Courier end Enqinrer^ March 2d.\\nThe Cost of the SnAKSPEAKE Gallery.\u00e2\u0080\u0094 It has been a maxim with\\nthe prudent, calculating portion of mankind, that a thing is worth\\n\u00e2\u0096\u00a0what it will sell for. Grant it. What, then, did the works of William\\nShakspeare sell for in 1596, when thoy came fresh from the mind and", "height": "2804", "width": "1628", "jp2-path": "prospectusforpub00spoo_0010.jp2"}, "11": {"fulltext": "PROSPECTUS. 7\\nas a general circulation of these splendid prints,\\nillustrating as they do the genius of the great\\npoet, and emanating from the most distinguished\\nBritish artists, as Sir Joshua Reynolds, Sir Ben-\\njamin West, Sir William Beechy, Fuseli, Rom-\\nney, Northcote, Westall, Smirke, Opie, as paint\\ners and Sharpe, Bartolozzi, Earlom, Thew, Si-\\nhand of that wonderfully gifted man Ten pounds ten shillings, or less\\nthan $60 each, is about the average of what he realized for his plays\\nAnd was this amount equal to their real and intrinsic value Yet it\\nwas all they sold for. But there is another way, in which this time-serv-\\ning standard may be applied, which will startle even the rankest mat-\\nter-of-fact calculator that ever pshawed at the poetry of Milton, or\\nshook his wise head at the beautiful ravings of Ossian. What amount\\nof good hard dollars has ever been received for Shakspeare s works\\nthroughout, the civilized world, from the year 1591 to the present mo-\\nment Not less, we presume, than ten millions of dollars Of course,\\nwe hold it to be right that an individual is entitled to credit, for the\\ncreations of his own brain in all their various illustrated forms, and if so,\\nShakspeare must have the honor and credit of all those beautiful IlluS\\ntratio7is, foi- the painting, engraving, and printing of which Alderman\\nBoydell, of London, paid over tivo millions of dollars.\\nChalmers, in his Biog. Dictionary, says The services of Boydell\\nwere universally appreciated. He was eulogized even from the pulpit\\nfor his zeal in making the fine arts subservient to the cause of religion.\\nSuch was the enormous cost of his favorite project, the Shakspeare Gal-\\nlery, which he had intended to have presented to the city of London, as\\na lasting monument of his love of the fine arts,\u00e2\u0080\u0094 that he became in-\\nextricably involved in difllculties, and petitioned and obtained from\\nParliament an act to enable him to dispose of his Gallery by Lottery.\\nHe lived till the last ticket was disposed of, and died on the 12th day of\\nDec, 1804, at the advanced age of 85 years, his death being hastened, as\\nis asserted by his son, Mr. William Boydell, by the chagrin he expe-\\nrienced at being compelled to dispose of the Shakespeare Gallery, con-\\ntrary to his cherished designs. This gentleman further declares that the\\nentire cost of the Shakspeare Gallery the buildings, designs, paintings,\\ncopper plates, c. was rising \u00c2\u00a31,000,000 sterling.\\nThe copper-plates here spoken of, have been purchased and sent to\\nthe United States, and are all to be restored to their former beauty.", "height": "2804", "width": "1580", "jp2-path": "prospectusforpub00spoo_0011.jp2"}, "12": {"fulltext": "8 PROSPECTUS.\\nmon, Middiman, Watson, Fyttler, Wilson, snd\\nmany others, as engravers. We have few pub-\\nlic galleries of paintings, and must therefore\\nmostly form our taste for this branch of the fine\\narts, from engravings and these plates are fit to\\ngrace the drawing room or portfolio of any gen-\\ntleman. Nothing, it is conceded, has a greater\\nwithout in the least changing their character of originality, or altering\\na single line. A portion of them are already completed, and experienced\\ncritics in such matters tell ns, that the proof impressions from the\\nrestored plates, are fully equal -to the original, taken by Boydell him-\\nself, before his death.\\nThe effect of the publieation of this raagnifieeni work in America,\\nmust be to increase the love of the fine arts, and greatly to improve and\\nextend a correct and cultivated taste throughout the United States.\\nWith this view, every gentleman who owns a library can possess himself\\nof a copy of these haixutitul illustrations^ which, in themselves, are akaosfe\\na. necessary accompaniment to the works of ^bakspeare, and with them\\nforms the best and most perfect library of human nature, and the human\\nheart, with the exception of the Bible, that ever Ms or ever n ill be\\n\u00e2\u0096\u00a0written.\\nFro7u tlie Morning Star, March ISih.\\nAlderman Boydell s Gallery. The admirers of Shakspeare will\\nremember, that the late Alderman Boydell, of London, published what\\nwas called the Shakspeare Gallery, at an expense of a million of dollars.\\nThe Paintings and Engravings were exquisitely finished. Many of the\\ncharacters in the historical plays were from original portraits. Our\\nreaders will be pleased to learn that the whol gallery consisting of lOO\\nCopper Plates, is in jjoss^ssion of I)octor Spooner of this city, who last\\nevening exhibited them to a number of artists and Jiterary men. The\\nDoctor will, at a great expense, have all the plates retouched.\\nFrom tlie Co?nmerciaI Advertiser, March ISth.\\nThe Boydell Pictukes. There was a meeting, last evening, at the\\nhouse of Dr. Spooner, in Liberty-street, for the purpose of critically ex-\\namining the copper-plates of Boydell s Illustrations of Sbakspeare, and\\ncomparing proofs taken from the restored plates, with Town s proof copy,\\nstruck by Boydell himself. We learn that more than a hundred invita-\\ntions were issued to artists, engravers, connoisseurs, and literary mes.", "height": "2804", "width": "1628", "jp2-path": "prospectusforpub00spoo_0012.jp2"}, "13": {"fulltext": "PROSPECTUS. 9\\ntendency to refine the mind, than the cultivation\\nof the fine arts, and it certainly adds greatly to\\nour pleasure. If the subscriber can be instru-\\nmental in assisting to cultivate the growing taste\\nfor the fine arts, he vv^ill not consider his under-\\ntaking fruitless, even though he should fail in\\nreaping the pecuniary recompense, which he\\nThe meeting was well attended, especially by artists and engravers, -who\\nhave taken great interest in the work. But one opinion was expressed,\\nthat the restoration of the work thus far has been completely successful,\\nand that the proofs from the restored plates are fully equal to the origi-\\nnal first impressions.\\nDr. Spooner had all the copper-plates arranged for the inspection of\\nthe curious. The examination of several plates now in the process of\\nrestoration is very interesting. Every line in the plates is re-cut with the\\ngraver. This is certainly a work of great magnitude, and it is to be\\nhoped that the enterprising owner will be seconded in his efforts by a\\nliberal patronage of this magnificent work.\\nDr. Spooner keeps open house on Saturday and Monday, and invites\\nall who feel interested to call and examine the engravings.\\nFrom the Courier and Enquirer^ March 20th.\\nInteresting works of ^^rt. We have already stated that the original\\nplates of Boydell s Illustrations of Shakspeare have been procured by\\nDr. Spooner, of this city, and brought hither. Efforts have been in\\nprogress for some time past for their restoration, and they are now, we\\nare happy to say, completed, and prove to be completely successful.\\nProofs have been taken from them, and carefully compared by some of\\nour best artists with the original engravings struck by Boydell him-\\nself from the same plates, and we believe we are justified in saying that\\nthey were unanimously pronounced fully equal to the London work, aa\\nissued in 1806.\\nThese engravings have long enjoyed a reputation as being the finest by\\nfar ever made in illustration of the world s greatest poet and as they\\nhave become very rare, it is a matter of no small interest that the plates\\nshould have been restored, and the faculty thus acquired of multijjlying\\nthese splendid pictures.\\nDr. Spooner has been strongly urged to continue his efforts in this\\nmatter, and to push the work to a speedy completion. We cannot doubt", "height": "2804", "width": "1580", "jp2-path": "prospectusforpub00spoo_0013.jp2"}, "14": {"fulltext": "10 PK0SPECTT7S.\\ntrusts a liberal public will feel willing to bestow\\nupon a project of this nature, involving as it does\\na very heavy outlay of capital in the commence-\\nment, and much risk of loss in its prosecution.\\nThe subscriber pledges himself to spare no\\neiforts or expense in perfecting the work, and\\nmaking it in every way worthy of its magnitude.\\nthat it will prove eminently successful, and that he \u00e2\u0096\u00a0ffill find himself\\nabundantly repaid for the hea-?y outlay of money, and the still heavier\\nexpenditure ef labor, which he has iHCurred. The enterprise is one\\nWhich must enlist the sympathies of every cultivated person and it can-\\nnot fail to meet a hearty welcome from the entire literary community\\nFrovi the Express, March 21st,\\nBoydelFs celebrated Illustrations of Shakspeare have been purchased\\nby Dr. Spooner, of this city, and are row here. He has succeeded, won-\\nderful to relate, in restorisg these valuable plates, so as to afford proof\\nimpressions, almost, if not quite, equal, in freshness, distinctness and\\neifect, to the originals. We are aware that this will seem, to those\\nsf our readers who have seen Moon s impressions, a hard thing to be-\\nKcvCj but it is the opinion of some of out best artists. Such an enter-\\nprise as this should be well sustained by all liyvers of high art, and we\\nlearn that an opportunity will be given shortly, it being the object and\\nintention of Dr. Spooner to publish the whole series by subscription ere\\nlong.\\nFrom the Home Journal, March 25th.\\nThe Fine Arts. Vie have never been more strongly impressed with\\nthe truth of the old proverb in relation to perseverance, than at the re-\\ncherche entertainrDent, given by Dr. Spooner, to some eighty or a hun-\\ndred artists, engravers, and literary gentlemen, on Thursday evening\\nlast. It is true that the good things of this life were not wanting\\nand If any went for the mere purpose of tasting the bivalves^ or of im-\\nbibing a glass of good Madeira, or sparkling Champagne, they were not\\ndisappointed. But we believe that, like ourselves, the pleasure of the\\nentertainment to all, arose from the rare opportunity of closely inspect-\\ning that wonder of talent, perseverance, and triumph of the engraver s\\nart, exhibited in the One Hundred Shahspeare Flutes^ which are so\\njustly becoming famous in this city. It is pleasant to look at a beautiful\\nengraving but how few persons, in doing so, understand or appreciate", "height": "2804", "width": "1628", "jp2-path": "prospectusforpub00spoo_0014.jp2"}, "15": {"fulltext": "PROSPECTUS. 11\\nand of the subjects illustrated. He proposes to\\npublish the work in monthly parts of two or\\nmore plates each, at the unprecedented low price\\nof one dollar per plate, to subscribers. Boydell s\\nsubscription price was two guineas ($10) per\\nplate, for the first 300 proofs, and one guinea per\\nplate, for the prints besides, many noblemen and\\nthe patient toil and skilful pi otracted labor bestowed upon the plate, by\\nthe artist. It is not mere manual labor but skill, caution, and caro\\nmust all be constantly exercised to their fullest extent the slightest\\nmistake being almost fatal to the perfection of the work. The Boydell\\nShakspeare Plates employed over thirty engravers, for many years?\\nin their execution and the cost of the vroi-k can be host under-\\nstood by the knowledge of the fact, that one of the plates has had\\nover six years of labor bestowed upon it. The style of engraving is a\\ncompound of the stipple and line, and, as some of the designs and finish\\nare superior to others the latter having been most printed from, are, of\\ncourse, most worn and it was of these plates, which have been first\\ncommenced upon by the doctor, that nearly all the engravers in this\\ncountry pronounced it impossible to efiTect a perfect restoration, without\\nchanging the character of the work, or, by preserving it, involve an expen-\\nditure of something like a hundred thousand dollars. But Dr. Spooner,\\nwith a perseverance worthy of great praise, has surmounted all difficul-\\nties, and overcome all doubts, and the examination of the restored plates,\\non Thursday evening, by artists, engravers, and those best capable of judg-\\ning of the work, has resulted in the full conviction, freely expressed, that\\nthe proofs from the restored plates are fully equal to the original and first\\nimpressions, when they came fresh from the hands of Alderman Boydell.\\nIn effecting this restoration, every line, however minute, has to\\nbe re-cut or deepened, and then bit up with acids, until the work is\\nwrought up as high as is desired, and it is then proved. This\\nprocess is repeated with great care, in some instances, five or six\\ntimes, or until the plate is brought up to its original, state. It is cer-\\ntainly very fortunate that the services of Mr. Parker, who was a pupil\\nof Thew s, has been secured for this work for, aside from his\\nknowledge of the art, and his skill in this particular branch of it, his\\nearly connection with the engravers of these plates, imparts a kind of\\nnational pride and enthusiasm to his labors, which ensures, and has so\\nfar effected, complete success in the undertaking.", "height": "2804", "width": "1580", "jp2-path": "prospectusforpub00spoo_0015.jp2"}, "16": {"fulltext": "13 PROSPECTUS.\\nothers made handsome donations, in addition to\\ntheir subscriptions, to encourage the work and\\nyet he failed for the enormous sum of two hun-\\ndred and fifty thousand pounds sterling. During\\nthe lifetime of the Boydells it was never sold\\nfor less than one hundred guineas per set. Some\\nof the proofs in former years have brought at pub-\\nTliat the pulblication of this great -work in the United States, uader\\nsuch favorable auspices, will be of immense benefit to the progress of the\\nArtSj cannot be doubted and we \u00e2\u0096\u00a0wish the Doctor all the success which\\nhis enterprise deserves and as it is now acknowledged by all, that the\\nengravings will be equal to the first proofs, we cannot consider the ex-\\npense attending it too great an outlay for so important an undertaking\\nand lovers of the fine arts, amateurs, admirers of Shakspeare, owners of\\nprivate, and managers of public libraries, and gentlemen of fortune\\nmust all feel a deep interest in encouraging and patronizing this mag-\\nnificent work.\\nFrom tM Sunday Times and Noah s Weekly Messenger, March 26.\\nThe Boydell Gallery. Dr. Spooner s collection of the Shakspeare\\nGallery has excited considerable attention among amateurs and profes-\\nsional men. He has all the original plates of the entire Gallery, and haa\\nsucceeded in restoring them, so as to obtain valuable proof impressions\\nThis enterprise should be sustained by the patrons of the fine arts\\nthroughout the Union. The collection is a splendid one.\\nFrom the Nem YorJc Tribune, March 25th, 1848.\\nBoydell s Shakspe.\\\\k.e Gallery. We looked in at Dr. Spooner s,\\n106 Liberty-street, yesterday to observe the success of an attempt now\\nin progress, in our city, to renovate the plates of the famous Boydell s\\nShakspeare. These plates, one hundred in number, and of the largest\\nsize, were got up at an enormous cost designers, painters, and engravera,\\nhaving been engaged at the most prodigal rates, and the whole artistic\\ntalent of Great Britain laid under contribution to produce a gallery\\nworthy of Shakspeare. The whole was issued at some $500 for the se-\\nries, and the plates were in due time worn to dimness and comparative\\nworthlessness by the demand for impressions. Having been purchased\\nby an American, a daring and costly effort has been made to restore\\nthem to their pristine sharpness of outline and vigor of expres-", "height": "2804", "width": "1628", "jp2-path": "prospectusforpub00spoo_0016.jp2"}, "17": {"fulltext": "PEOSPECTUS. 13\\nlie sales, fifteen guineas each in London, and\\ntwenty-five dollars in New York.\\nThe work will be printed on thick linen pa-\\nper, 24 by 30 inches, weighing 140 lbs. to the\\nream. Each print will be accompanied with a\\nstereotype letter-press description of the same,\\nwith quotations from the text which it illustrates.\\nsion, and, in the judgment of our artists and connoisseurs, with com-\\nplete success. Eight of the plates have been renovated, and their im-\\npressions are fully equal to the earliest proofs. As what has been done\\nmay again be, this triumph is of the first importance to the world of Art\\nAn American edition of the Shakspeare Gallery will in due time be\\nissued.\\nFrom the Evening Post, March 28th.\\nDe. Spooner s restoration of Boydei.l s Shakspeare Gallery.\\nDr. Spooner, of this city, is engaged in a very successful attempt to re-\\nstore the worn-out -plates of Boydell s Illustrations of Shakspeare.\\nThere are one hundred of these plates, of a very large size, forming a most\\nsumptuous work. The designs were furnished by the best artists of Eng-\\nland, at the time when West was in his prime. They comprise many by\\nWest himself, some by Northcote. some of the remarkable conceptions of\\nFuseli, and various other eminent artists the price was a hundred\\nguineas. The old plates have been purchased by Dr. Spooner, who has\\nalready restored five or sis of them, so perfectly that the impressions\\nappear like proofs, and compare very accta-ately with the early proofs:\\nWe shall be glad to see an American edition of the Shakspeare Gal-\\nlery, rivalling in beauty the original London edition.\\nCERTIFICATES.\\nWe, the undersigned, having examined some of the original copper-\\nplates of Boydell s Illustrations of Shakspeare, alid compared\\nthe proofs taken from them by Boydell himself, with those taken by Dr.\\nS. Spooner, within the last few weeks, from a number of the plates resto-\\nred by him, give it as our deliberate opinion and judgment, that his efforts\\nto restore this magnificent work, have, so far, proved entirely successful,\\nand we heartily recommend it to the American public as being in every\\nrespect worthy of their liberal patronage, and as eminently calculated", "height": "2804", "width": "1580", "jp2-path": "prospectusforpub00spoo_0017.jp2"}, "18": {"fulltext": "u\\nPROSPECTUS.\\nprinted on the best hot-pressed linen paper, of\\nthe same size as the print, with tissue paper be-\\ntween, which will add greatly to the beauty and\\ninterest of the work. In Boy dell s editions, there\\nis no description of the plates, nor tissue paper\\nand only a list of the plates at the end of the vol-\\numes. The work, when completed, will form\\nnot only to gratify those who may become its possessors, but also, to en-\\ncourage and promote the adTancement of the Fine Arts in our country\\nNew York, March, 1848.\\nJ. Watson Webb,\\nJno. Inman,\\nM M. Noah,\\nGeo. p. MokriSj\\nN. P. Willis,\\nHorace Greeley,\\nN. Calyo,\\nHenry H. Leeds Co.,\\nStephen H. Tyng (d.d.),\\nAaron Vanderpool,\\nEgbert Benson,\\nWm. B. Cozzens,\\nJames W. Gerard,\\nValentine Mott (m.d.),\\nHorace Green (m.d.),\\nGeorge Potts (d.d.),\\nSmith W. Anderson,\\nC. Temple Emmet,\\nDavid Graham,\\nJ. I. Coddingiton,\\nJohn W. Francis (m.d.)\\nJames R. Whiting,\\nJohn McKeon,\\nCampbell P. White,\\nJohn Van Buren,\\nJoNA. M. Wainwright (d.d.),\\nWm. Berrian (d.d.),\\nJohn Doggett, jr.,\\nJames W. Smlth, jr..\\nWashington Irving,\\nJohn Eadie, jr.,\\nAndrew H. Mickle,\\nJohn Wiley,\\nGeo. p. Putnam,\\nDan l Appleton Co.,\\nW. L. Ormsby,\\nTalbot Watts,\\ne. m. townsend,\\nHugh Maxwell,\\nFrancls Barretto,\\nTheodore Sedgwick,\\nDudley Selden,\\nAaron Clark,\\nWm. T. Porter,\\nJohn T. Tuttle (m.d.),\\nAaron Levy,\\nDavid B. Ogden,\\nEdward Mills,\\nDanforth Hufty,\\nTheo. Frelinghuysen,\\nProsper M. Wetmobe,\\nRoBT. P. Morris,\\nHarper Brothers,\\nG. W. Endicott,\\nHenry Brevoort,\\nGardnier G. Howland,\\nWm. V. Brady,\\nEly Moore,", "height": "2804", "width": "1628", "jp2-path": "prospectusforpub00spoo_0018.jp2"}, "19": {"fulltext": "PROSPECTUS. 16\\ntwo volumes of surpassing beauty, far superior\\nto any of the old copies now in the country.\\nTERMS.\\nTo subscribers, $1,00 per plate, including the\\nTwo vignettes which embellish the title-page\\nof each volume.\\nRawdon, Wright Hatch, Eleazer Parmly,\\nBenj. F. Butler, H. W. Hewet,\\nS. De Witt Bloodgood, D. D. Howard.\\nGerard C. Lester^ Joseph M. Smith. (m.d.)\\nI have looked over the proofs of several plates restored by Dr.\\nSpooner, belonging to the engravings of Boydell s Illustrations of\\nShakspeare, and have been struck with the perfect precision and suc-\\ncess W ith \u00e2\u0096\u00a0which the process has been executed. So far as he has pro-\\nceeded, that splendid work has been brought back to the distinctness\\nand beauty belonging to the first impressions taken from the plates in\\nEngland. The undertaking is one which deserves success and I hope\\nthat Dr Spooner will meet with a liberal encouragement from the\\nAmerican public.\\nWILLIAM C. BRYANT.\\nNe7v York, March 25, 1848.\\nI have had an opportunity to examine the proofs from several restored\\nplates, belonging to Boydell s Illustrations of Shakspeare, now in pos-\\nsession of Dr. Spooner. They are a very great improvement on the worn\\nimpressions, and give the spirit of the very early impressions. Enter-\\ntaining this opinion, I heartily wish success to the laudable undertaking.\\nALEXANDER H. STEVENS.\\n(President of the College of Physicians and Surgeons.)\\nNew York, March, 30, 1848.\\nI fully concur in the opinion expressed above by Dr. Alexander H.\\nStevens, in regard to the proofs from the restored plates of Boydell s\\nShakspeare, and, with that gentleman, heartily wish success to the ardu-\\nous task of restoring the whole series undertaken by Dr. Spooner.\\nJOHN J. AUDUBON.\\nNen York, April 3d, 1848.", "height": "2804", "width": "1580", "jp2-path": "prospectusforpub00spoo_0019.jp2"}, "20": {"fulltext": "16 PROSPECTUS.\\nTerms cash on the delivery of every QUmber,\\nAll letters and orders must be post-paid. These\\nterms are not above one fifteenth part of the\\npresent English publishing price for prints of the\\nsame size and class, as will be seen by the ex-\\ntracts given below.\u00c2\u00b0\\nThe plates are numbered in small figures, from\\nMr. Boydell rose to great renown and distinction. He was elected\\nAlderman in 1782, Sheriff in 1785, and Lord Mayor of London in 1790.\\nHe also held the office of the Master of the Stationers Company. As the\\nmost generous promoter of those arts which refine and elevate the mo-\\nral sentiments, he was honored with a public funeral. Chalmer s Biog\\nDictionary,\\nThe style of engravings ranks as follows 1st, the Line, 2d, the Stip-\\nple, 3d, the Meszotint, 4th, the Aquatint, and 5th, the Lithograph.\\nOf the Shakspeare plates, about one third are line, and the balance\\na compound of the line and stipple. They are exquisitely and elaborate-\\nly engraved, and the general size of the coppers is 20 s 26 inches. In\\nmany of the plates, especially where satins, laces, or embroideries are\\nintroduced into the draperies, a grand effect is produced, which could\\nnot possibly be attained with the simple line.\\nTo show the extremely low price affixed to the Shakspeare Plates in\\nthe Prospectus, the prices of the following prints are copied from the\\ntrade catalogue of the great London piiblishing house, Ackermann Co.\\nThe custom of the trade is, to affix three prices to engravings, which\\nih.Qj caXl the print the proofs ^n^ the proof before the letter. The price of\\nthe proof is usually double that of the print and of the proof before the\\nletter, three times as much and when the proofs become scai ce, their\\nvalue sometimes is greatly^ increased. The price here given is always\\nfor the print. The pound sterling is rendered into federal currency,\\nleaving out the fractions for brevity. Also, for the same reason, several\\nprints are grouped together, when the style, size, and price are about the\\nsame. Line stands for line stipple for stipple mezt. for mezzotint aqt-\\nfor aquatint and lith. for lithograph. The names of the artists are gene-\\nrally omitted but where they are given, the first is the painter, and the\\nsecond the engraver. The figures refer to the size of the plate in inches.\\nCopied from Ackermann Go s Catalogue of prints, comprising the\\nnew, important, and standard engravings, selected from their own and\\nthe stock of every other publisher, containing about 600 different prints.", "height": "2804", "width": "1628", "jp2-path": "prospectusforpub00spoo_0020.jp2"}, "21": {"fulltext": "PEOSPEOTUS. 17\\n1 up to 100, in the lower left hand corner, for the\\ndirection of the binder, and for the convenience\\nof those sending orders. This is important, for\\nhardly a copy of the original work can he found\\nin which some of the plates are not misplaced\\nand, as there are many worn impressions in the\\nTwo portraits of the Queen, 22x31, mezi; two portraits of Prince\\nAlbert, as Field Marshal, and in full robes, 21 x 30, mezt. portraits of the\\nQueen, and Prince Albert, a pair, 22 x 31, line the Queen, equestrian\\nportrait, 31 i 36, mezt. the Queen, dissolving Parliament, a full length\\nportrait, mezt. several other subjects, each $15,00.\\nPortraits of the Queen Dowager, 16 x 25, mezt. do. Emperor of Rus-\\nsia, 17 X 26, mezt. do. Grand Duke of Russia, 17 x 26, mezt. several por-\\ntraits of the Duke of Wellington, by different artists do. of other dis-\\ntinguished persons, mostly mezt., some line, each $10,00.\\nThe Heroes of Waterloo at Apsley House, 22 x 28, mezt. the Queen s\\nFirst Council, 23 x 34, mezt. the Coronation, 22 x 34, mezt. do. another\\n24 X 34, mezt. Her Majesty s Marriage, 22 x 34, mezt. Trial of Effie\\nDeans, 22 x 26, mezt. Prince Charles Edward, 19 x 30, line Reading the\\nfirst Bible in St. Paul s, 19 x 27, line Haddon Hall in the days of yore,\\n22 X 34, mezt. and others, each $20,00.\\nAbout 30 portraits of the Queen, Prince Albert, Duke of Wellington i\\nand other distinguished personages, in mezt., line, and stipple, size about\\n12 X 15, each, $5, to $7,50.\\nThe Waterloo Banquet at Apsley House, after W. Slater, 25 x 44, $50.\\nThe Waterloo Banquet at Apsley House, after Sir David Wilkie, mezt.,\\n960,00.\\nThe Queen s First Council, 23 x 34, mezt. the Coronation, 22 x 34\\ndo. another, 24 x 34, mezt. each $25,00.\\n-The Queen receiving the first sacrament, after Leslie, 23 x 43, $60,00\\nMartyrs in prison, 20 x 27, mezt. Jacoiys Dream, 19 x 27, mezt. Death-\\nbed of Calvin, 20 x 26, mezt.; Death-bed of Wolsey, 25 x 32, mezt. Cov-\\nenanter s Baptism, 18 X 24, mezt. Covenanters Preaching, 18 x 24, mezt.\\nJudgment of Solomon, 18 x 24, mezt. Opening of the Sixth Seal, 19 x 27,\\nmezt. King Charles the First in the Guard-room, 13 x 19, line Trial of\\nthe Earl of Stafford, 14 x 21, mezt. and many other like subjects, each\\n$10,00.\\nSunday Morning, 17 x 23, stipple Prayer of Innocence, 12 x 13, line-\\nEleventh Hour, 17 x 20, mezt.; Canterbury Pilgrimage, 10 x 37, line;", "height": "2804", "width": "1580", "jp2-path": "prospectusforpub00spoo_0021.jp2"}, "22": {"fulltext": "18 PROSPECTUS.\\nmarket, this will be a certain mark, by which to\\ndistinguish the restored prints.\\nA list of all the patrons of the work, with a\\npreface, will be given in the concluding part,\\nto be bound up with it.\\nS. SPOONER.\\nFlitcli of Bacon, 12 s 30, line Sale of the Pet Lamb, 15 x 20, mezt. By-\\nron s Dream, 15 s 23, line Corsair s Isle, 22 x 27, mezt. Highland Hos-\\npitality, 17x23, mezt. Sancho and the Duchess, 14 x 18, line Portia\\nandBassanio, 13 x 15, line; Shylockand Jessica, 14 x 13, line Child with\\nFlowers, 10 x 13, line Wolf and Lamb, 16x19, mezt. and over 100 sim-\\nilar subjects, in mezt., line, and stipple form, 10 x 14 to IS x 24, each, $5\\nto $7,50.\\nItalian Pilgrims, 19 x 28, line Trial of Charles the First, 22 x 29, mezt.\\nPrince Charles Edward, and Flora McDonald, 21 x 30, stipple Baronial\\nHall, 22 X 30, mezt.; Highland Drovers, after Landseer, 17 x 19, mezt.;\\nBolton Abbey, 22 x 28, mezt. Slave Market, 22 x 24, mezt. and many\\nothers each, $15,00.\\nThere are also quite a number of other prints, ranging from 15 to 30,\\nnnd even GO dollars. Prints after Sir David Wilkie, Landseer, and Mar.\\ntin, usually range from 5 to 20 dollars some few are much higher.\\nAbout 50 Lithographs, as All Fours, The Coronation, Too Hot, A Poser,\\nHow are You 1 The Bubble, Pet Pig, Pet Lamb, Domestic Felicity, Sleep-\\ning Nymph, Done Up, c., from 9 x 12 to 12 x 16, each, $1,50.\\nEight hunting pieces, about 17 x 28, mezt. each, $15,00.\\nFifty Hunting .and Sporting Pieces, Stage Coaches, Kaces, Race Horses,\\nc.. aqt.. each, about $5,00.\\nThus, it will be seen, that the price of the Shakspeare prints is cer-\\ntainly not over one fifteenth part of the present price of English prints\\nof the same class, and is act\\\\ially less than that of English Lithographs of\\nabout one quarter the size.", "height": "2804", "width": "1628", "jp2-path": "prospectusforpub00spoo_0022.jp2"}, "23": {"fulltext": "APPENDIX.\\nHaving now issued nine parts (18 plates) of the American Edition of\\nBoydell s Illustrations of Shakspeare, it appears to me proper, that I\\nshould make some farther statements in order to correct the errors which\\nfrequently meet my eye in the public prints, as Avell as to satisfy numerous\\nenquirers. I ought also to express my heart-felt thanks to those gentle-\\nmen of the Press, and others, Avho have in the kindest and most liberal\\nmanner noticed the work, and recommended it to public patronage.\\nCheered on by these flattering testimonials of approbation, I heed not the\\njealous attacks which have been^vafted from the other side of the Atlan-\\ntic, nor shall I regard the attempts at black mail, made by certain persons\\nin this city. My house has been open from the first, to every person\\nwho felt interested in the work, and many hundred persons, among whom\\nare many of our most distinguished citizens, have called and examined\\nthe original copper-plates, the process of restoration, compared the proofs\\ntaken from the restored plates with the original proofs struck by Boydell\\nhimself, side by side and they have pronounced the restoration entirely\\nsuccessful, and have recommended the work in the most liberal spirit, as\\nevery way worthy of public confidence and support. It were impossible\\nto deceive such men, and any attempt to palm off upon the public an un-\\ntruth, or an imposition, would indeed be superlatively ridiculous. The\\nmagnitude of the enterprise will at once be perceived on reflecting that\\nthere are 100 plates in the series, one-third of which are line, and the\\nothers a compound of the line and stipple that every line has to be re-cut,\\nthe stippling re-stippled in every part of the plates, and in some parts of\\nthem, the process has to be repeated several times in gradually vjorkingup\\nthe plates to their original proof state. I have now seven engravers con-\\nstantly employed, and shall have to increase the number as the work pro-\\ngresses. It may not be thought improper for me to state, that I engaged in\\nthe enterprise against the advice of many warm and respected friends,rely-\\ning entirely upon my own resources and that when its success was placed\\nbeyond a doubt, I promptly refused an offer of illO.OOO for the plates, also\\nagainst their advice, not in any expectation of receiving greater offers or\\ngreater profit but that it is my own favorite project, and that my belief\\nis that a man could in no way do so much to promote the advancement\\nof those arts which refine and elevate the mind, in our beloved country,\\nas the extensive circulation of these magnificent prints and for this\\npurpose I have made the price as low as possible, in order to put them\\nwithin the means of every man of taste.", "height": "2804", "width": "1580", "jp2-path": "prospectusforpub00spoo_0023.jp2"}, "24": {"fulltext": "29 APPENDIX.\\nThe following letter from Gov. Everett to my agents in Boston, is so\\nlibera] and just, that I beg to call particular attention to it.\\nCambridge, Nov. 4, 1848.\\nGentlemen 1 have received your letter of the 2d, ^-ith the copy of the\\nnew edition of the Prospectus of the Illustrations of Shakspeare sent\\nwith it. As I have not had an opportunity to place the impressions from\\nthe restored plates side by side with the original prints, I have formed my\\nopinion of the probable success of Dr Spooner s great undertaking on the\\ntestimony of the gentlemen whose names are given in the Prospectus as\\nhaving made the comparison. Several of them are so well known as\\ndistinguished artists, and persons of highly cultivated taste, that I feel\\nconfident the proposed American publication will be as substantial a re-\\nproduction of the original magnificent work of Boydell, as the nature\\nof the case admits. In this expectation I have subscribed for it, and wish\\nit all success. I am, gentlemen, respectfully,\\nYour obedient servant,\\nMessrs. Redding Co. EDWARD EVERETT.\\nIt would require a volume to give even short extracts from the nume-\\nrous recommendatory notices of the work which have appeared in the\\npublic prints throughout the country. The work is so well known to the\\nworld, that commendation seems superfluous. It has stood the test of\\nseventy years criticism, and, like Shakspeare, its reputation has steadily\\nincreased ever since its publication. No better proof of this fact can be\\ndesired, than this that most of the Illustrations of Shakspeare, published\\nsince Boydell s time, have been pirated in whole or in part from his great\\nwork, A beautiful edition of Shakspeare has recently been published in\\nGermany, illustrated in miniature after Boydell;\\nThe restoration is entirely successful, and has the unqualified appro-\\nbation of the best critics in such matters. The work originally cost aa\\nincredible sum, and the whole artistic talent of Great Britain was laid\\nunder contribution for twenty years in producing it. The restoration of\\nthe work is a great enterprise which should enlist the sympathies and\\nliberal patronage of the public. Courier and Enquirer, July 20, 1848.\\nThe impressions from the restored plates appear like proofs, and com-\\npare very accurately with the early proofs. The restoration is most per-\\nfect and satisfactory. Boydell s price v/as one hundred guineas. N. Y.\\nEvening Post, July 21.\\nWe have examined the original proofs, the defaced impressions, and\\nthe restored copies, side by side, and consider the last in no respect infe-\\nrior to the first. N. Y. Tribune, July W.\\nIt is an enterprise worthy of the most liberal encouragement.\\nCommercial Advertiser, July 20.\\nIt is a subject of congratulation among the lovers of the fine arts, to\\nsee the perfect revival of this magnificent Shakspeare Gallery. The\\nenterprising proprietor has twelve of the plates restored, and several\\nothers are in rapid progress. Dr. Spooner has fixed the price of each\\npla e at only one dollar. The original subscription, we believe, was\\ntwo guineas. It ought to have, and no doubt will have a large circula-\\ntion. Every housekeeper should possess himself of the entire series.\\nNoah s Weekly Messenger, July 20.", "height": "2804", "width": "1628", "jp2-path": "prospectusforpub00spoo_0024.jp2"}, "25": {"fulltext": "APPENDIX. 21\\nThe restoration is pronounced by the best judges perfectl/ successful\\nand equal to the first proofs. Each plate has a letter-press descripiion\\naccompanying it, which is a perfect key to each figure, and which adds\\ngreatly to the interest and beauty of the work. The price is only one\\ndollar the plate, which is exceedingly low, being only one-tenth part of\\nBoydell s proof price. This is certainly a great undertaking, which\\nshould be encouraged by every lover of the fine arts. Hovie Journal,\\nJuly 22.\\nHaving examined the original copper plates, and compared the proofs\\ntaken from the restored plates with a proof copy struck by Boydell him-\\nself, we have no hesitation in saying that in our judgment the restoraiion\\nis perfectly successful in every particular. Dr. Spooner has a certificate\\nto this eflect, signed by more than one hundred well-known citizens of\\nNew-York. Comviercial Advertiser, Aug. 7.\\nThe Shakspeare Plates Part III. This part contains the two fa-\\nmous prints after Peters, illustrating the Merry Wives of Windsor the\\none, Mrs. Ford and Mrs. Page comparing letters the other, FalstafF in\\nthe buck basket. Both plates are engraved in the most masterly manner.\\nThey were the most difficult to restore in the whole series, in consequence\\nof their having been worn to smoothness by the demand for impressions\\nThe restoration, however, has be^n perfectly successful. The prints are\\nfully brought up to the beauty of the proof copy. We have compared\\nthem side by side. The work, as it progresses, inci eases in beauty, and,\\nwhen completed, will form the most splendid and original work ever exe-\\ncuted. This great and worthy enterprise ought to be encouraged by every\\nlover of the fine arts and every liberal man. Courier Enqidrer, Sep. 10.\\nBoydell s Illustrations of Shakspeare. An American edition of\\nthis celebrated w-ork is now publishing under the proprietory care of Dr.\\nSpooner, of New- York. Eight of these large and superb plates have ap-\\npeared, and on comparing them with the old English edition, we have\\nbeen surprised at the freshness and perfection of the impressions. The\\nLondon Athenceum recently expressed its incredulity at the possibility of\\nprocuring any more good impressions from these plates. But we thinlc\\nthat no candid examiner can deny that Dr. Spooner has succeeded fully\\nin his undertaking. Many of the impressions could not be distinguished\\nfrom the original issues, except from the tint of the paper. All amateurs\\nand lovers of prints should call at Redding Co. s, the Boston Agents,\\nand look at the eight plates that have been published. They are afforded\\nat less than one-fifth of the London ^xice.. Boston Eve7ung Transcript,\\nOct. 11. Park Benjamin, Esq., Ed.\\nBoydell s Illustrations op Shakspeare. Some time since, after we\\nhad examined the original plates in process of restoration, we called the\\nattention of our readers to the pleasure preparing for them. The expec-\\ntations which we then entertained have been more than realized. The\\nproprietor has spared no expense in the restoration. He has not only\\nbrought the plates to the beauty of the most perfect copies we have ever\\nseen, but he has given them all the beauty and boldness and finish of\\nproofs. A more beautiful work of art than the whole series will present,\\nwe cannot imagine. The genius of the poet and the artist combine to\\nlend a lustre to each picture the whole forming the most original work\\never executed. In comparison with these prints, all other illustrations\\nof Shakspeare fall into insignificance. It is a matter of public congrat-\\nulation that our country has thus become possessed of one of England s\\nproudest monuments of intellectual glory. We ^ee that it is alreadvp.y-\\nciting envy on the other side of the AilsinXiQ,. Home Journal, Aug. 10.", "height": "2804", "width": "1580", "jp2-path": "prospectusforpub00spoo_0025.jp2"}, "26": {"fulltext": "S3 APPENDIX.\\nThe following article is extracted from Hewet s Excelsior and Illustrated\\nTimes. Mr. Hewei s reputation as a man of taste, and as the illustrator\\nof a very beautiful edition cf Shakspeare, and of other works, is too\\nwidely known to require comment.\\nBoydell s Illustrations of Shakspeare is a work so well known that it\\nis unnecessary to comment upon it here to any extent. Beyond dispute,\\nit is the most magnificent Avork ever executed in any age or country.\\nUpwards of sixty of the most renowned artists of the world were en-\\ngaged in designing, painting and engraving the work, upwards of twenty\\nyears. It was commenced in 17S5, and finished in 1809. Alderman\\nBoydell, afterwards Lord Mayor of London, a very wealthy man, resolved\\nto immortalize his own name, as well as to gratify his love of the fine\\narts, by getting up a series of Illustrations of Shakspeare that should be\\nworthy of the immortal bard, and an honor to his country. For this pur-\\npose he poured out his money like water, laid the whole artistic talent of\\nthe world under contribution, and, after many years of indefatigable ex-\\nertion, produced his world-renowiied 100 Illustrations of Shakspeare,\\nat an expense, as is said, of a million sterling. To give an idea of che\\nimmense original cost of the work, it is only necessary to say, that in\\naddition to the preparatory expenses, such as designs, paintings, gallery,\\nc. many of the plates are known to have had six years labor of the\\nengraver bestowed on a single plate.\\nAbout seven years ago Dr. S. Spooner, a wealthy citizen of this city,\\nand a man of great taste, bought all the original copper plates of this\\nmagnificent work, with the intention to restore them to their original proof\\nstate, as the greatest boon he could offer his country and the world. After\\nseveral years of fruitless efforts, he learned that Mr. George Parker, of\\nLondon, was the only man known capable of undertaking the supervision\\nof the great enterprise, and he forthwith made hini such overtures as in-\\nduced him to come out and undertake the restoration of the work. Dr.\\nSpooner commenced operation on the most worn plates of course the\\nmost diflicult ones to restore and in due time several were restored to\\nsuch perfection as astonished every beholder. Sanguine of success, and\\nconfident in his own resources, the Dr. went on with his great enterprise,\\nuntil it leaked out and got into the newspapers, which caused quite a\\nstir, when he began to encounter opposition from a quarter where he least\\nexpected it. To counteract this mischief, he invited all the most distin-\\nguished artists, engravers, connoisseurs and literary men in the city to his\\nhouse, to critically examine the original plates, and to compare the proofs\\ntaken from the restored plates witli the late Ilhiel Town s proof copy of\\nthe old work. We had the pleasure of being present at this interesting\\nmeeting. Many of our first engravers brought their glasses with them.\\nThe result was, that the \\\\yhole meeting, without a dissenting voice, de-\\nclared the .proofs from the restored plates, fully equal to the proofs struck\\nby Boydell himself Nay, many went further, and declared them superior\\nin several respects.\\nIt is now only necessary for us, as engravers, to describe how this\\nwonderful operation is performed. Every body knows, or ought to know,\\nthat the great labor and difiiculty of engraving is to tran-sfer the drawing\\nto llie plate, or to etch upon the plate the picture to be engraved, in all its\\ndue proportions. Now, the process of restoring these plates is precisely\\nthat of working up and finishing now plates. The ground work is all\\nthere every line, however minute, has to be recut with the graver\\nThus it is easily seen, that there is no ditficully in their restoration, to a", "height": "2804", "width": "1628", "jp2-path": "prospectusforpub00spoo_0026.jp2"}, "27": {"fulltext": "APPENDIX. 23\\nman thoroughly conversant with the original work and the styles of en-\\ngraving adopted yet it is an immense labor. It is one of the boldest\\nand most costly enterprises of the kind ever engaged in by a single man.\\nIt is an enterprise that should arouse the sympathy and aid of every lib-\\neral man, both by his subscription and his personal recommendation of\\nthe work. The circulation of this truly magnificent work in our country,\\ncannot but be of the highest benefit to the fine arts, by giving a correct\\ntaste and love for the highest works of art. It is a matter of public cod-\\ngratulation that our country has become possessed of one of England s\\ngreatest treasures: We have frequently examined the work in progress,\\nand know the truth of what we say. Dr. Spooner has the right kind of\\ntaste and enthusiasm, as well as ample means, to engage in such an enter-\\nprise, and will complete the work, even were it at the loss of thousands.\\nBut this cannot be. The enterprise is only just getting known, yet sub-\\nscriptions are pouring in upon him from all parts of the country. He\\nhas received an offf r of ten thousand pounds for his copper plates. The\\noffer Avas made by a London publishing house, through their agent\\nhere. Of course it was unhesitatingly rejected by the proprietor, in jus-\\ntice to his subscribers, his pledges, and his reputation. Though the sum\\nseems large, what is it in comparison to the original cost of the work\\nXl,000,000 sterling These magnificent plates will live and be prized as\\nlong as Shakspeare is admired, and they will find a ready market in every\\npart of the Avorld.\\nThe following article is extracted from the Tuscaloosa Monitor of Dec.\\n9th, 1848, edited by M. D. J. Slade, Esq. Of the many editorial notices\\nv/hich have fallen under my observation, few have taken so noble, just,\\nand disinterested a view of the subject. The original article is more\\nthan two columns in length. The Editor first calls attention to the enter-\\nprise in the following language:\\nWe would suggest to our exchanges, the expediency of giving to their\\nreaders some information in regard to the re-publication of Boydell s great\\nwork, of which an account is contained in the present Monitor. We make\\nthis suggestion without having the slightest personal interest in the mat-\\nter, nor even any acquaintance with any one who has our motive being\\nsimply a desire to see proper encouragement extended to a noble work of\\nart, and a general diffusion given to so excellent a means of elevating\\nthe public taste.\\nHe then goes on and gives an admirable historical account of the work,\\nand description of the same, which must be omitted here for want of\\nroom.\\nWe have recently had an opportunity of examining eight of these\\nrestored engravings, which are now in Tuscaloosa. Some years have\\npassed since we saw a set of the original proofs. We cannot, therefore,\\nourselves speak of these impressions from direct comparison but we can\\nsay that they are pre-eminently beautiful and striking and we are wil-\\nling to admit the testimony of the numerous artists and connoisseurs\\nwho have made the comparison with close and severe scrutiny, that they\\ncan in no manner be distinguished from the originals.\\nThe editor here describes the plates and then proceeds\\nDescription, however, in matters of this kind, is of little value. To\\nbe understood, these pictures must be seen. We presume thf,l they will\\nbe accessible to any person interested.", "height": "2804", "width": "1580", "jp2-path": "prospectusforpub00spoo_0027.jp2"}, "28": {"fulltext": "24 APPENDIX.\\nDr. SpoonoT commenced his labor of restoration, by very wisely se-\\nlecting plates which had sufiered most from wear, as the first subjects of\\nhis experiments. The complete success which has attended his eflbrts,\\nhas excited surprise and awakened a lively interest in the vrork, on the\\nother side of the water. He has already been offered from England, fifty\\nthousand dollars for the plates but he has resolutely refused to part with\\nthem. His publishing price is one dollar only for each engraving.\\nPrints of equal size, executed in similar style, sell, according to Acker-\\nman Co. s catalogue, at prices varying from ^15 to 25 in London. It\\nappears, therefore, to be abundantly manifest, that Dr. Spooner is by no\\nmeans mercenary in his present undertaking. His price is, plainly\\nenough, not fixed for the purpose ol making profit by the operation. The\\nprints are sold very far below their value and were the plates to pas-s\\ninto other hands, there can be no doubt that the price would at once go\\n\u00e2\u0096\u00a0up, and that the world of taste would suffer, while the speculators would\\ngain. The present proprietor seems to be actuated by a love of art him-\\nself, and a desire to promote such a feeling in others. Nothing certainly\\nin the power of one man to do, could txert a more beneficial influence in\\nimproving the public taste, than the general distribution of so superb a\\nwork as this. We sincerel} trust, however, that one who has himself\\nevinced so liberal a spirit may not in the end prove a loser by his libe-\\nrality. The original projector of this great work succeeded in his grand\\ndesign, but sank, himself, beneath its enormous weight. Its restorer must\\ninvest a very large capital in his difficult and hazardous undertaking;\\nbut it is to be hoped that his labors will terminate in a happier issue.\\nThere are in Alabama there are, we hope, in this community, some\\nwho know how to value the achievements of art. There are those whose\\nrefined tastes are capable of appreciating the beautiful, the magnificent,\\nthe grand. And, utilitarian as this age may be, there are not wanting\\nindividuals who do not believe that all usefulness is confined to the\\nmechanical and the physical. There are those who believe that the\\nworld is made better in proportion as its tastes are elevated and its senti-\\nments refi.ned and who can therefore perceive, in painting and in sculp-\\nture, in poetry, and in music, efficient means of improving the human\\nrace. Such may esteem the patronage of a work of art like this, a thing\\nworiliy to be encouraged on solid and substantial grounds. Others, who\\nfeel more and who reason less, but who love the beautiful for its own\\nsake, may desire to possess so rich a collection of the master-pieces of art,\\nfor the pleasure it is capable of affording. But whatever motive may\\nlead any to lend their aid to so laudable an undertaking, we trust that\\nAlabama may not be behind her sister states in promoting an enterprise,\\nwhich, when carried out, will confer the highest honor on the country in\\nwhich it is attempted.\\nThe great labor of perfectly restoring one hundred large engravings,\\neach of them a perfect study, where every line has to be retouched by the\\ngraver, must necessarily occupy quite a length of time. It is intended\\nthat the publication shall be made in monthly parts, each pai t containing\\ntwo plates. Thus, though the entire cost of the work, even at its present\\nvery low price, is considerable, it is spread over so large a space as to\\nrender it light. There are paintings in this city, we presume, which\\ncost, singly, more than the whole set of Bcydell s Illustrations but we\\nquestion whether there is one which a connoisseur would prefer to such\\na set. Let those Avho have shown their good taste by encouraging the\\nproductions of the pencil, consider whether they have not now a fit oppor-\\nlunitv to do equal justice to the burin.\\nNew-York, March 1. 1849. S. SPOONER.", "height": "2804", "width": "1628", "jp2-path": "prospectusforpub00spoo_0028.jp2"}, "29": {"fulltext": "proof copy, and some proofs before the letter, in my possession, and\\nwithout a dissenting voice, tliey liave pronounced the proofs taken from\\nihe restored plates fully equrJ to the original proofs very many have\\ngone farther und declared tliem superior. I have no hesitation in saying\\nthat the American edition, when completed, will he an improvement on the\\nEnglish, in several respects, Avithout interfering with the originality of the\\nwork in the least, which will be preserved with the greatest care. The\\nines are cut in deeper, wiiich gives the prints a sharper and clearer ap-\\npearance. The work is also printed on far better paper. The letter-press\\ndescription and key to the plates is also a distinguishing feature of the\\nAmerican edition, and adds greatly to the interest, beauty and value of the\\nM ork. Not one person in a hundred can fully appreciate these plates\\nwithout deep study, unless assisted by a descriptive key. This fact 1\\nhave had ample opportunities of testing, by noting the obseiTations con-\\nstantly dropping from the many persons who have called to examine the\\nwork. The cheapness of the work I hardly need refer to the price set\\nis certainly not above one-fifteenth part of the present English publishing\\nprice for the same class of prints. Besides its value as a soiu ce of end-\\nless amusement and instruction, it cannot fail to be a good investment\\nfor the work must always be rare its value does not depend upon fashion-\\nit is a woi k that equally interests the whole civihzed world not a work\\nfor a day, but for all time. So certain am I of the perfection of the re-\\nstoration, that, with the advice of many friends, some of whom are for-\\neigners, I am makmg arrangements to send the work to England and to\\nthe continent confident that its republication where it oliginrttpd must\\nbe attended with eminent success. S. SPOONER.\\nNeio-York, Nov. I, \\\\848.\\nPtAW OF PTTBIilCATIOW.\\nTo be published in fifty parts, containing two plates each, to be issued\\nthe first of every month, commencing July 1, 1848. Price ^2.00 per\\npart, to subscribers only. All letters to the Proprietor or his Agents\\n:hnuld be post paid.", "height": "2804", "width": "1580", "jp2-path": "prospectusforpub00spoo_0029.jp2"}, "30": {"fulltext": "LIBRARY OF CONGRESS\\n014 106 038 7\\nm\\nAGENTS.\\nW^ Boston. ^Redding Co., No. 8 State-st.\\nWorcester. Edward Livermore.\\nProvidence. Rowe Co,\\nw^ Springfield. W. B. Brockett.\\nHartford. Brown Parsons, 182 Main-st,\\n^P New-Haven. Durrie Peck, 70 Chapel-st.\\nAlbany.\u00e2\u0080\u0094 W. C. Little A Co., 53 State-st.\\nTrot.\u00e2\u0080\u0094 H. A. Benton, 289 River-st.\\n^p Utica. W. W. Backus, 165 Genessee-st.\\n^1 Rochester. Edwin Scranton, 25 Buffalo-st,\\nD. M. Dewey, Arcade.\\nBatavia. Wm. Seaver \u00c2\u00abfe Son.\\n5^ Buffalo. Geo. H. Derby Co., 164 Main-st.\\n^P Cleveland. Joseph Sargeant, Superior Lane.\\n^1 Pittsburgh. Jolin D. Davis, cor. of Wood and Fifth-pts.\\nCincinnati. Jacob Graff No. 5 Masonic Row.\\nH. W. Derby; \u00c2\u00abfe Co., 145 Main-st.\\nst^ Louisville. Maxwell, Co. 451 Main-st.\\nSt. Louis. \u00e2\u0080\u0094Meredeth Ogden.\\nNevi^ark. John L. Agnes, 2 Commerce-st.\\nPmLA. J. A. Murphy, 3 Ledger Buildings.\\nMf Baltimore. Jehu Burton, 107 Fayette-st.\\n^1 Richmond. A Morris.\\nCharleston. ^Wm. R. Babcock.\\nms New Orleans. Daniel Rice.\\nTuscaloosa. F. A. P. Barnard.\\nSavannah. W. T. Williams.\\nSJ^ Mobile. J. K. Randall.\\nOhio (North of the Cumberland Road)-\\nWh, Detroit. C. Morse Son.\\n-Parsons Co., Elyria.", "height": "2804", "width": "1628", "jp2-path": "prospectusforpub00spoo_0030.jp2"}}