Name/Title
"The Works of Shakspeare"Entry/Object ID
1981.20.1Description
Leather bound copy of "The Works of William Shakspeare," published in Philadelphia by Willis P. Hazard in 1852. Two interior pages contain signatures. Three pages of the book contain pressed flowers.Context
This is a one-volume compilation that encompasses the plays of William Shakespeare (1564–1616). It was compiled by Shakespearean commentator, George Steevens (1736–1800), who edited and assembled several multi-volume editions on the poet’s work. Although Steevens died in 1800, his editorial commentary continues to be published in various forms, such as this version published in 1852. As this book also demonstrates, Steevens chose to spell the playwright’s name "Shakspeare" rather than “Shakespeare,” after observing the shorter spelling the poet’s final will.
This book was signed by its owner, Alfred Preston (1834–1859), the same year it was published. Alfred Hampton Preston, the oldest son of Caroline Hampton (1807–1883) and John Smith Preston (1809–1881) died of consumption (tuberculosis) while in Italy at age 24. The book was later given to Preston's sister, Mary Cantey Preston (1840–1891). On the page opposite her brother’s name, Mary’s name was added and then later amended to include the name "Darby." In 1864, she married Dr. John Thomson Darby (1836–1879), a surgeon assigned to Hampton’s Legion—which was established by her cousin, Wade Hampton III (1818–1902)—during the Civil War. The additional reference to Mary’s married name suggests that the book was first placed in her care while she was unmarried and living at the Hampton-Preston Mansion.
Today, "The Works of William Shakspeare” contains a series of pressed flowers, including a rose and other flowers that Historic Columbia's horticultural team is working to identify. It is uncertain who pressed flowers in this book or where the cuttings came from. As the plant specimens are well preserved, it is possible that they grew in the Hampton-Preston gardens when they were owned by Mary Preston Darby's grandmother, Mary Cantey Hampton (1779–1863), and expertly cultivated by the gardeners she enslaved.Book Details
Publisher
Willis P. HazardPlace Published
State/Province
Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaDate Published
1852Relationships
Related Person or Organization
Person or Organization
Alfred Hampton Preston
