Life Charles James Mathews Chiefly by Dickens Charles Editor (4 results)

, 2 unifrom volumes, 324 & 336 pages, each with black & white frontispiece, plus black & white illustrations throughout First Edition , Colour work done to leather, slightly marked boards, lightly rubbed around the edges, foxing to front and rear pages, otherwise internall clean, books in good condition , contemporary half red morocco, half marbled paper covered boards, gilt titles to spines, marbled endpapers, gilt top edge Octavo Hardback ISBN:

Hardcover. Condition: Good. 1st Edition. 8vo. pp. 1 p.l., ix, [1 leaf], 324; viii, [2 leaves], 336. 5 lithographed plates. with half-titles. original black & gilt-stamped cloth (scuffed, joints & extremities frayed, inner front hinge of Vol. II cracked, scattered light foxing, small label on spine). From the library of the Canadian author, Thomas Conant (1842-1905). First Edition. Lowe, Arnott & Robinson 3314.

2 volumes. First Edition. With a portrait frontispiece in each volume and three other engravings. Tall 8vo, publisher's original dark-green polished cloth, the spine lettered and ruled in gilt, the covers blocked in black and blind. ix, 324; viii, 336 pp. A superlative copy, unopened and pristine. FIRST EDITION, AND AN ESPECIALLY FINE, UNOPENED COPY. A SCARCE WORK ON THIS POPULAR ACTOR AND DRAMATIST. A son of the actor Charles Mathews, he achieved a greater reputation than his father in the same profession and also excelled at light comedy. He toured three times in the United States, and met and married his second wife there. As an actor in England, Mathews held an unrivaled place in his unique vein of light eccentric comedy. He had an easy grace combined with "imperturbable solemnity", a combination which amused people; his humour was never broad, but always measured and restrained. It was as the leading character in such plays as the Game of Speculation, My Awful Dad, Cool as a Cucumber, Patter versus Clatter, and Little Toddlekins, that he especially excelled. Mathews was one of the few English actors who successfully played French-speaking roles. In 1863 he appeared in Paris in a French version of his play Cool as a Cucumber, and was received with praise. He played there again in 1865 as Sir Charles Coldcream in the original play L'Homme blasé.

2 volumes. First edition. With a portrait frontispiece in each volume and three other engravings. 8vo, bound in early half green morocco and marbled boards richly gilt in the panels of the spines, t.e.g. ix, 324; viii, 336. Index. A very good set. SCARCE WORK ON THIS POPULAR ACTOR AND DRAMATIST. A son of the actor Charles Mathews, he achieved a greater reputation than his father in the same profession and also excelled at light comedy. He toured three times in the United States, and met and married his second wife there. As an actor in England, Mathews held an unrivalled place in his unique vein of light eccentric comedy. He had an easy grace combined with "imperturbable solemnity", a combination which amused people; his humour was never broad, but always measured and restrained. It was as the leading character in such plays as the Game of Speculation, My Awful Dad, Cool as a Cucumber, Patter versus Clatter, and Little Toddlekins, that he especially excelled. Mathews was one of the few English actors who successfully played French-speaking roles. In 1863 he appeared in Paris in a French version of his play Cool as a Cucumber, and was received with praise. He played there again in 1865 as Sir Charles Coldcream in the original play L'Homme blasé.