In 1870, Joseph H. Saunders of Johnston, RI devised a plan to create an advertising booklet that interspersed comic pictures based upon sayings from plays by William Shakespeare with the advertisements for local businesses. The preface to the booklet states its purpose: "It combines information as to where our wants of all kinds may be supplied in the best manner, and at the fairest prices; with illustrations of a higher class of humor than is usually presented to the public by the so called comic papers." Saunders contracted with Harlen P. Boyce to be the publisher and Edward S. Jones created the illustrations using wood engraving blocks as the medium. James Boyce agreed to pay Saunders the lost profits in the event that Harlen P. Boyce failed at the task of publishing the booklet. The booklet was called
Shakespearian Advertiser printing blocks collection, Ms.2011.044, Brown University Library.
Although Brown University has physical ownership of the collection and the materials contained therein, it does not claim literary rights. Researchers should note that compliance with copyright law is their responsibility. Researchers must determine the owners of the literary rights and obtain any necessary permissions from them.
There are no restrictions on access, except that the collection can only be seen by prior appointment. Some materials may be stored off-site and cannot be produced on the same day on which they are requested.
The wood blocks have been assigned numbers which correspond to the order in which the images appear in the booklet and are arranged numerically in the boxes.
This collection contains wood engraving printing blocks created by Edward S. Jones to illustrate a booklet titled "The Shakespearian Advertiser" published by Harlen P. Boyce in Providence, RI. The wood printing blocks are comic illustrations of quotes from various plays by William Shakespeare. The illustrations are interspersed throughout the booklet the remainder of which is composed of advertisements from businesse primarily in Rhode Island but also in Massachusetts and New York. The collection contains 2 copies of the booklet published in 1871 and titled "The Shakespearian Advertiser;" a complete set of 52 prints from the wood engraving blocks; 38 of the original wood engraving blocks; and the agreement between Joseph H. Saunders, Harlen P. Boyce and James Boyce for the publication of the illustrations dated 12 Nov 1870. One of the booklets serves as the index to the printing blocks with each print assigned a number. The corresponding original blocks have been assigned the same number as the print.
The collection was originally housed in a wooden crate: 21.5" Long x 17" Wide x 8.25" Tall. The crate was not retained.