Songs and Sonnets from Shakespeare, Illustrated by Gordon Browne

This is an antique cloth-bound volume titled 'Songs and Sonnets from Shakespeare,' part of 'The Laurel Wreath Series.' The title page features delicate black-ink line art depicting a neo-classical architectural frame with columns and ivy, attributed to the illustrator Gordon Browne, R.I. The book was published co-jointly by Ernest Nister in London and E.P. Dutton & Co. in New York, likely dating between 1890 and 1910. The paper is an off-white, heavy-weight stock, showing significant signs of age. Notable condition issues include distinct foxing (brown oxidation spots) across the right margin of the title page and along the top edge. There is also visible wear to the inner hinge, with fabric fraying at the spine's gutter where the front board meets the text block. The volume appears to contain color illustrations, as evidenced by the edge of an illustrated plate on the left-hand page. The printing details include a small serial mark 'E.N. No. 1823' at the bottom of the title page, characteristic of Ernest Nister's high-quality lithographic house which was renowned for its ornate Victorian-era gift books and children's literature.