{"product_id":"othello-william-shakespeare-folio-society-1955-signed-letter-2","title":"Othello","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOthello by William Shakespeare\u003c\/strong\u003e. London: The Folio Society 1955. First printing thus. Introduction by Ivor Brown, designs by Tanya Moiseiwitsch. Glossary by Jean Rook. 224 × 173 × 17 mm. Pp. [1–2] 3–136: [8] leaves of colour plates (facing pp. [1], 16, 33, 48, 65, 80, 96 and 113). Type: Bembo. Printed in red and black by Benham and Company, the lithographs by Van Leer. Bound by Mackay in dark purple series binding. White dust-jacket printed in dark brown and colour. The designs were made for the Stratford Memorial Theatre Company’s tour of New Zealand and Australia in 1953.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA good-only copy in a like, price-clipped dust wrapper. Externally a little worn and discoloured, with crushed spine tips, rubbed corners, and tanning to the closed text block. Internally, the pages are clean and uninscribed, save for a dedication to the verso of the frontispiece, as shown. The dust jacket is worn and price-clipped to the front flap, with a few marginal chips (including a very small area of loss to the upper portion of the front panel), several closed tears, and creasing both along the spine and horizontally across the wrapper; now placed in an archival jacket. Laid in is a 1975 programme for the Co-operative Arts Theatre’s production of Otello by Giuseppe Verdi, staged in Nottingham.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAlso laid in is a warm and personal autograph card signed “Tanya” (the costume designer whose work features throughout this Folio Society edition), written to “Sir Anthony Quayle, C.B.E.” (British actor and director, renowned for his Shakespearean roles including Othello, Falstaff, Benedick in Much Ado About Nothing, Henry VIII, and Aaron in Titus Andronicus). In the message, Tanya shares glimpses of daily life and theatrical activity abroad, touching on the challenges of a “hot \u0026amp; humid climate,” the pleasures of local markets, and, most engagingly, the progress of a production—remarking that “Our Khlestakov really looks like this, or will when his wig has been trimmed,” in reference to the accompanying printed costume design for The Government Inspector (Stratford Festival, 1985). Elsewhere, she responds warmly to Tony’s news, offering encouragement (“keep your compass needle pointing in the most successful direction \u0026amp; all will go well”) and conveying affectionate familiarity throughout. Card, folded in two, written in ink on three sides, with printed illustration to one side. Accompanied by the original airmail envelope addressed in the same hand to Sir Anthony Quayle at 10B Elystan Place, London SW3, bearing Canadian stamps and postmarks. Light handling and fold marks, the envelope with minor edge wear; both well preserved.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Sancho's Rare Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53616067903827,"sku":null,"price":110.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0830\/5403\/5283\/files\/Othello-WILLIAM-SHAKESPEARE-Tanya-Moiseiwitsch-FOLIO-SOCIETY-1955-SIGNED-Letter_3_1935abfb-584a-47a7-9de1-1afbc92dfaab.webp?v=1777627254","url":"https:\/\/sanchosrarebooks.co.uk\/products\/othello-william-shakespeare-folio-society-1955-signed-letter-2","provider":"Sancho's Rare Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}