The Two Gentlemen of Verona by William Shakespeare 1901
one of 310 copies printed on handmade paper
Ransom #44
The type used for the Shakespeare volumes was the Avon type which was basically
a smaller version of the Vale type.
This page is of interest to bibliophiles and those interested in the printing
and construction of books. Note the "c" below the word "day"
at the bottom of the image. The "c" means that this is the first page
of the third signature in the book. All Vale Press books I have examined are
printed in this fashion.
The watermark used for the Vale Shakespeare.
From 1900 to 1903 the Vale Press printed the works of Shakespeare in 39 volumes. Ransom has the following to say about the Vale Shakespeare:
310 sets on special H M [hand made paper] with a mermaid watermark; none on vellum. Tragedies, 1-13; Comedies, 14-27; Histories and Poems, 28-39. The first volume was published in April, 1900, followed by the others at monthly intervals. Three different borders were used, one for each group.