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An extraordinary find for collectors of antique literature, military medical history, California local history, and unique provenance!
Up for sale is a captivating antique lot of 9 matching pocket-sized volumes (Volumes I through IX) of The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Garrick Edition), beautifully published by The Shakespeare Club of Philadelphia. This rare printing features critical prefaces, detailed notes, and a comprehensive glossary curated by the renowned scholar Israel Gollancz, M.A..
1. The \"Dr. Holt\" Connection (1905 Military Medical History):
The interior flies contain the elegant, hand-inked signature and official stamp of John Milton Holt, Phil. B., M.D., who served as a Passed Assistant Surgeon for the U.S. Public Health and Marine Hospital Service. The inscription is officially dated September 22, 1905. This federal service was instrumental in guarding American ports against yellow fever and managing quarantine stations during the turn of the century—making this set a tangible piece of early 20th-century history.
2. Rare Owensmouth, California Typed Letter (1929 School Ephemera):
Tucked safely inside this collection for nearly a century is an incredibly rare piece of Southern California history, as shown in image IMG_20260604_141605.jpg.
What it is: An original typed invitation on official Owensmouth High School stationery, dated April 10, 1929.
The Content: Signed by Georgiabell Thomason (Secretary of the O.H.S. Student Body), it cordially invites friends to the school\'s “First Annual Shakespeare Contest” held in the gymnasium.
Historical Significance: Owensmouth is a \"lost\" California town name. Located in the San Fernando Valley, the town voted to change its name to Canoga Park in 1931 to boost local development. Finding original typed paper ephemera carrying the pre-1931 \"Owensmouth\" name is exceptionally rare, making this a highly desirable cross-collectible for Los Angeles history enthusiasts and Shakespeare lovers alike!
Vol. I: Life, Tempest, Two Gentlemen of Verona, Comedy of Errors
Vol. II: Merry Wives of Windsor, Measure for Measure, Midsummer Night\'s Dream, Much Ado About Nothing
Vol. III: Love\'s Labour\'s Lost, Twelfth Night, The Merchant of Venice, As You Like It
Vol. IV: The Winter\'s Tale, The Taming of the Shrew, All\'s Well That Ends Well, King John
Vol. V: King Richard II, King Henry IV (Part I & II), King Henry V
Vol. VI: King Henry VI (Parts I, II, III), King Richard III
Vol. VII: King Henry VIII, Julius Caesar, Antony and Cleopatra, Troilus and Cressida
Vol. VIII: Othello, Coriolanus, Timon of Athens, Hamlet
Vol. IX: Romeo and Juliet, Pericles, King Lear, Cymbeline
