Merry Wives of Windsor
William Shakespeare. Illuminated by John H. Tearle. DeVinne Press, NY, Merrill & Baker 1903.

PRINTED ON VELLUM. 22 FINE WATERCOLOR MINIATURES throughout, (16 character studies and 6 views), 27 large inititals, large tendrils or other decorations on every page, rubricated capitals throughout in eight colors. Dark brown crushed levant morocco, covers with gilt fillet and border of small tools framing a large design of ornamental scrollwork around a medallion with the initial S, the inlays in blue, mauve, turquoise, green, yellow, maroon and fawn morocco; spine in six compartments with five raised bands, gilt lettered in two compartments, a repeated colored morocco inlaid panel in the rest, fawn and various colored morocco inlays, uncut, stamp-signed by John H. Tearle on front doublure; velvet-lined cloth box. Provenance: Abby B. Blodgett (designation on limitation leaf).

ONE OF SEVEN COPIES ON VELLUM, this copy number 3, each copy with different decoration, printed in black on one side of the sheet only, major initials in gold, line and other smaller initials supplied in various colors, marginal watercolor drawings of women and landscape views, profusely decorated with scrollwork initial extensions, borders and other ornaments, in gold and a very wide range of colors. Laid in is the original subscription form. Merrill & Baker’s Illuminated Shakespeare was to comprise thirty-nine volumes, each limited to seven numbered copies. It is unlikely that the project was ever completed.