Title-vignettes.
Printed from the original copper plates, restored; 100 designs (including the portraits of George III and Queen Charlotte, and the title-vignettes) Each design is accompanied by a leaf of descriptive letterpress with quotations from the text it illustrates. The original edition by John and Josiah Boydell, appeared under title: A collection of prints, from pictures painted for the purpose of illustrating the Dramatic works of Shakspeare, by the artists of Great Britain ... London, 1803, 2 v.
The order differs somewhat from that of the original (Lear being transferred to the first volume) Some of the plates and leaves of text are mounted on cloth.
Of the artists, Smirke, Fuseli, and Northcote contributed the largest number of plates; the others including Reynolds, Opie, and Stothard, are represented by from one to five plates each, engraved by R. Thew, T. Ryder, P. Simon and others.