ILLUSTRATED LIST OF FOLIO SOCIETY LIMITED EDITIONS 2006-2010

ILLUSTRATED LIST OF FOLIO SOCIETY LIMITED EDITIONS 2006-2010

This series of threads is designed to list all the curent series of limited editions in five year blocks, initially by year, then alphabetic order, with a picture of both the exterior and interior of each book.
The prices in the lists below are representative only, and may have varied from time to time, and market to market.

The other threads in this series can be found thus:-
ILLUSTRATED LIST OF FOLIO SOCIETY LIMITED EDITIONS 2001 to 2005 here.
ILLUSTRATED LIST OF FOLIO SOCIETY LIMITED EDITIONS 2011 to 2015 here.
ILLUSTRATED LIST OF FOLIO SOCIETY LIMITED EDITIONS 2016 to 2020 here.
ILLUSTRATED LIST OF FOLIO SOCIETY LIMITED EDITIONS 2021 to 2025 here.
ILLUSTRATED LIST OF FOLIO SOCIETY LIMITED EDITIONS 2026 to 2030 here.

More information, and often leaflets and brochure downloads for these books, can be found on the FSD wiki .

Some limited editions are still available directly from the Folio Society. The Folio Society Limited Editions website can be found here.

Folio Society, Letterpress Shakespeare Limited Editions
The Folio Society Letterpress Shakespeare program produced magnificent solander cased books (a few early editions were available in a slipcase instead of a solander box) that were limited to between 3750 (earlier editions) and 1,000 copies. They were individually numbered on a special limitation page, and were quarter-bound in goatskin leather, blocked in gold with hand-marbled paper sides, gilded top edge and ribbon marker. Set in 16pt 'Monotype' Baskerville, printed by letterpress on mould-made paper. They were accompanied by an Oxford University Press text with extensive explanatory notes, edited by Anthony B. Dawson & Paul Yachnin under the General Editor Stanley Wells. The series of 39 volumes started in 2007 and was completed in 2014. They were priced at £295, except for the Sonnets and Poems, which was £345 (prices are representative only and have varied from time to time).







Hamlet (2007, 3750 copies)
King Lear (2007, 3750 copies)
Macbeth (2007, 3750 copies)
Othello (2007, 3750 copies)
A Midsummer Night’s Dream (2008, 3750 copies)
Antony and Cleopatra (2008, 3750 copies)
As You Like It (2008, 3750 copies)
Coriolanus (2008, 3750 copies)
Julius Caesar (2008, 3750 copies)
The Tempest (2008, 3750 copies)
Titus Andronicus (2008, 3750 copies)
Twelfth Night (2008, 3750 copies)
Henry IV part 1 (2009, 1000 copies)
Henry IV part 2 (2009, 1000 copies)
Henry V (2009, 1000 copies)
Richard III (2009, 1000 copies)
Sonnets and Poems (2009, 1980 copies)
The Merchant of Venice (2010, 1000 copies)
Much Ado About Nothing (2010, 1000 copies)
Romeo and Juliet (2010, 1000 copies)
The Taming of the Shrew (2010, 1000 copies)
All’s Well that Ends Well (2011, 1000 copies)
Measure for Measure (2011, 1000 copies)
Troilus and Cressida (2011, 1000 copies)
The Winter’s Tale (2011, 1000 copies)
King John (2012, 1000 copies)
Richard II (2012, 1000 copies)
Timon of Athens (2012, 1000 copies)
Comedy of Errors (2013, 1000 copies)
Love's Labour's Lost (2013, 1000 copies)
Merry Wives of Windsor (2013, 1000 copies)
Two Gentlemen of Verona (2013, 1000 copies)
Cymbeline (2014, 1000 copies)
Henry VI Part 1 (2014, 1000 copies)
Henry VI Part 2 (2014, 1000 copies)
Henry VI Part 3 (2014, 1000 copies)
King Henry VIII (2014, 1000 copies)
Pericles (2014, 1000 copies)
Two Noble Kinsmen (2014, 1000 copies)

2006

Johnson’s Dictionary by Samuel Johnson
(2v.) Facsimile of the first edition. Quarter bound in dappled brown calfskin with leather corners and hand marbled sides and page edges by Ann Muir. Printed on cream toned paper. Brown cloth double slipcase with paper label. Enclosed 12 page leaflet by John Mullan on The Making of the Great Book of English. Pages not numbered. 1,000 copies. 43.5x28x17.5cm. (£590)
Link.





Luttrel Psalter, The.
(2v.) Facsimile of 14th. century volume bound in blue Nigerian goatskin blocked with a multicolour design by David Eccles, all page edges gold blocked, two ribbon markers, 624pp. Commentary volume by Michelle P. Brown, quarter bound in buckram with paper sides, 206pp. Dark blue solander case with leather label on spine. 14x19.2in. 1480 copies. (£1090) (Most expensive book produced by the FS)
Link.





Surinam Album, The by Maria Sibylla Merian.
(1717) Full size facsimile. 91 colour plates Quarter bound in leather with decorated cloth sides. Two loose art prints enclosed. Commentary volume by Julie Harvey 87pp. with map endpapers. 57x39.5x1105cm. 12.1Kg. 1000 copies. (£590)
Link.





War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy. Translated and introduced by Rosemary Edmonds. Drawings by Feliks Topolski. Gilt top page edge. Ribbon marker. Maroon leather bound, blocked with a design. Enclosed leaflet "What is War and Peace?" by John Bayley, 12pp. Black solander box with title on spine. 1430pp. 26.7x19x8.8cm. 1750 copies. (£145)





2007

Decameron, The - Giovanni Boccaccio.
(2v.). Text volume translated by Richard Aldington, 19 aquatints by Buckland-Wright, ribbon page marker, gold top page edge, bound in red leather with blocked design, 710pp. Booklet "The Happy Art of Narration", paper bound, 8pp. 1750 copies. Dark green solander box with gilt title on spine. 28.3x19.3x7.8cm. (£135)





Four Gospels Of The Lord Jesus Christ According To The Authorized Version Of King James I With Decorations By Eric Gill Printed And Published At The Golden Cockerel Press MCMXXXI.
Facsimile. Bound in full Nigerian goatskin by G.Lachenmaier with Fabriano Tiziano endleaves. All edges gilt. Black satin ribbon marker. Cloth solander box. 256pp. 2750 copies, (£295)
Link.





Holkham Bible, The.
(2v.). Facsimile of 14th. century volume, half bound in blue leather with leather corners and gilt blocked spine, buckram sides printed with a diaperwork pattern, leather front title label, all paper edges gilded, ribbon marker, printed on Furisio paper, 84pp. Commentary volume by Prof. Michelle P. Brown bound in quarter buckram with paper sides and title label, 8 pages of tipped in colour illustrations, 162pp. Patterned solander box with leather spine label. 32.3x24x6cm. 1750 copies. (£245)
Link.





2008

Alice’s Adventure Underground by Lewis Carroll.
(2v.). Facsimile bound in dark blue goatskin leather with gilding, 96pp. Commentary volume "The Original Alice" - Sally Brown, printed soft paper cover, 32pp. 3750 copies. Lidded box with gold printed top and inset photo of Alice Liddell. 26.4x18.3cm. (£100)
Link.





Les Misérables by Victor Hugo.
Translated and introduced by Norman Denny. 24 B&W illustrations. Bound in blue blocked leather. Gold top of page block. Ribbon marker. 1750 copies. 1101pp. Solander box 28.2x19.4x8.6cm. (£160)





Liber Bestiarum, Bodley 764.
(2v.) Facsimile of c.1250 volume, bound in red Nigerian goatskin blocked in four colours with a design by David Eccles, 4 raised bands, page edges gilded, ribbon marker, 284pp. Commentary volume by Christopher de Hamel, translation by Richard Barber, bound in blue cloth blocked with a gilt design, 174pp. Dark blue buckram solander box with red leather spine label. 33x22x8.8cm. 1980 copies. (£495)
Link.





Metamorphoses by Ovid.
Bound in Nigerian goatskin leather blocked in gold with a design. Printed on Vizille Ivoire Laid paper. 16 tipped-in colour plates, 2 with a gatefold. Printed endpapers. Gilded top edge. Ribbon marker. 484pp. Gold-blocked solander box. 2750 copies. 13x9¾in. (£295)





Temple of Flora, The by Robert Thornton.
Full-size facsimile. 232pp. Two loose art prints enclosed. 34 colour plates. Quarter bound in Nigerian goat skin with blocked cloth sides. Commentary volume by Stephen Harris. 1980 copies stated, only 600 produced. In solander box 60x49.8x9cm. (£795) (Heaviest FS book 12.8Kg.)
Link.





Wind in the Willows, The by Kenneth Grahame.
83 illustrations, 33 in colour by Charles van Sandwyk. Introduction by Alan Bennett. Printed endpapers. Bound in gilt lettered quarter vellum over grey paper boards decorated in gilt and brown. Top page edge gilt. Green cloth solander box with gilt lettered title label. 264pp. 1000 copies (£395)





2009

Fitzwilliam Book of Hours, The.
(2v.). 1510 facsimile bound in gilded patterned jacquard silk, all page edges gilded, ribbon marker, 370pp. Commentary volume by Stella Panayotova quarter bound in blue buckram with paper sides, pictorial endpapers, 144pp. Both volumes in one blue solander box 23x16.2x6.7cm. 1180 copies. (£495)
Link.





History of England by Thomas Babington Macaulay
(5v. - 526 + 542 + 582 + 661 + 244pp.). Bound in red goatskin with gilt spine-titling and decorations, four raised bands. Red ribbon markers. Text block edge dyed gilt. Colour frontispieces & colour and monochrome plates in each volume. Total of 2,555pp. Decorated slipcase. 500 copies. (£695)





King Henry’s Map of the British Isles. BL Cotton MS Augustus Ii9.
Commentary by Peter Barber. Rolled facsimile map printed on Neobond in buckram covered box lined with fabric. Map 63.25x45.75cm. Illustrated commentary volume158pp. 26x20cm. 2750 copies. (£95)





King Henry’s Prayer Book.
Facsimile. Bound in silk velvet over wooden boards. Brass clasps. Gilded and shuffles page edges. 360pp. 980 copies. Commentary volume by James P. Carley 96pp. Solander box 24.2x17x7.8cm. (£995)
Link.





Moby Dick by Herman Melville.
Bound in pictorially embossed black leather. 280 B&W illustrations by Rockwell Kent. 734pp. Commentary volume by Harold Beaver bound in buckram 306pp. 17l50 copies. Solander box 27x20.5x10.7cm. (£195)





Music for King Henry (The Royal Choirbook).
(2v.+CD) Facsimile quarter bound in buckram with vegetable parchment sides blocked in gold and colour foils, all page edges gilded, 36pp., gold embossed slipcase 51.7x36.3cm. Commentary volume by Nicolas Bell, performing edition by David Skinner, colour illustrations, transcribed musical score, bound in maroon buckram with printed front board, 117pp., 31.2x22.2cm. CD, Sir Thomas More, plastic case with enclosed leaflet. 500 copies. (£445)
Link.





Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam, The.
Vellum Quarter-Binding, spine blocked in 22-carat gold vellum tips, front Board blocked in three shades with artists design. 16 Plates printed in colour by the artist Niroot Puttapipat, plus a new etching hand printed, signed and numbered by the artist. 1000 copies. Translated into English Verse by Edward Fitzgerald, with an introduction by A.S. Byatt. Quatrains set in 24 point Caslon, gilded top edge and ribbon marker. 220 Pages. (£395)
Link.





2010

Aeneid by Virgil.
Translated by Robert Fagles. Printed on Cordier Wove. Bound in Nigerian goatskin blocked in gold and black with a design. Map endpapers. 17 colour plates. Brown slipcase with gold printed title on spine. 1750 copies. 512pp. 9¾x6¾in. (£195)
Link.





Canterbury Tales, The.
(2v.). Facsimile printed on felt-marked laid paper, endpapers of Merida Graphite, bound in Nigerian goatskin leather blocked with a 24-carat gold design, gilding on all three book edges, black satin ribbon marker, 768pp. Commentary essay by Peter Holliday quarter-bound in buckram. Buckram-bound solander box with gold blocking on the spine. 1980 copies. 12½x7¾in. (£395)





Holy Land, and Egypt and Nubia by David Roberts, The.
2v. Facsimile. Vol.1 Holy land, Vol.2 Egypt and Nubia. Both bound in full red pictorially blocked canvas, ribbon markers, gild top page edges. 247 full colour lithographs. Design embossed red slipcases 52.2x36cm. (£895)





Mappa Mundi, The Hereford World Map.
(2v. + map). Facsimile map of 1300 original prined in 4 colours and gold on Neobond, mounted on canvas, supported by wooden battens, labelled on reverse with limitation panel, 56x47.2 in., housed in a wooden map box covered in gold blocked burgundy cloth, lined with fabric, 51x5.5x5.5 in. Commentary volume by P.D.A.Harvey bound in gold blocked dark blue buckram, ribbon marker, embedded illustrations, 112pp., 11x8.5in. Descriptive volume by Scott D.Westrem bound in gold blocked dark blue buckram, 2 ribbon markers, 16 pages of colour illustrations, 536pp., 11x8.5in. Separate limitation certificate. (£519)





Rime of the Ancient Mariner, The by Samuel Taylor Coleridge.
Illustrated by Harry Brockway. Signed and numbered by the illustrator on woodblock printed limitation engraving. Quarter vellum binding blocked with gilt text, vellum tips to corners of boards. Gilt top edge. Front cover illustration produced with metallic foil. Decorative endpapers. 16 mounted coloured plates, also bordered, as is the title page. Black grosgrain silk covered solander box. 1000 copies. 36x27.5cm. (£450)





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Thanks so much for your work on these posts - they are invaluable!

A couple of corrections:

- 2010 Wind in the Willows - the James Lynch/Alan Bennett info is from an earlier edition. The LE was illustrated by Charles van Sandwyk, contains a limitation spread with a tipped-in etching, 16 colour plates and numerous pen-and-ink drawings (*my notes say "forty new drawings added", but I'm not sure of the original number so can't give the total!)

- 2010 Rime of the Ancient Mariner - Harry Brockway is the illustrator of the latest edition - the LE was illustrated by Niroot Puttapipat.

>2 skullduggery: 2010 Rime of the Ancient Mariner - Harry Brockway is the illustrator of the latest edition - the LE was illustrated by Niroot Puttapipat.

My LE is illustrated by Harry Brockway. The latest edition is taken from the 2010 LE.

>3 folio_books: Ah yes - big apologies - I was confusing the Ancient Mariner with Just So Stories (for no good reason).

WITW is definitely van Sandwyk though.

>2 skullduggery:
Corrected. Thanks for the info.

Thanks very much indeed for the hard work, Warwick. It's wonderful to have all the relevant information in one place, and illustrated too. I have just one query, though: I received my Lord of the Rings (as shown above) on 11 May 2002. The text block is the seventh printing, 2002.

>6 boldface:
The FS first published the Lord of the Rings in 1977 and since then there have been innumerable reprints. The 2008 LE used exactly the same text block as the standard edition, only the binding was special, thus the colophon states that it is seventh printing.

>7 wcarter:

Yes, I understand the history of the FS SE and the fact that the so-called 'limited edition' was actually just the ordinary edition in a fancy binding. What I'm saying is that the LE came out in 2002, not 2008. If you look at Folio 60, page 152, towards the end of the entry for the 1977 SE (no. 417), it says, "In 2002, 1750 copies from this impression were bound by Smith Settle in full gold-blocked leather and issued as a 'limited edition' in a slip case with leather ends." Although Folio 60 says the copies were taken from the sixth printing (2001), some, like mine, came from the seventh printing (2002).

The equivalent Hobbit LE, according to Folio 60, came from the seventh printing 2002, but "were issued in the spring of 2003" (end of entry no. 456, p.161). Mine arrived on 11 March.

The Silmarillion LE, as you rightly have it, came out in 2003, using both the third (dark brown endleaves) and fourth (flecked cream endleaves) printings (both 2003). I have the latter variant because I hesitated at first and only caved in the following year, when, miraculously as it might seem nowadays, it was still available.

>8 boldface:
Ah! I see! An error on my part that will be corrected. Thanks for the info.

>9 wcarter:

No worries!