Restoration and Eighteenth Century Drama Collection

The Special Collections contains more than 300 Restoration and 18th century British plays, and some early 19th century imprints as well. Probably the earliest imprint is Sir William Davenant's The Siege of Rhodes (1653). The period from the Restoration to 1800 is particularly well represented. While the collection lacks the first editions of Etheridge, Wycherly, Congreve and Sheridan, it does give an in-depth view of the drama of this period. Samuel Johnson, Colley Cibber, John Home, Elizabeth Inchblad, Thomas Otway and Arthur Murphy and Thomas Shadwell are represented. John Dryden is represented in first editions of Cleomenes (1692), Eleonara (1692), and The Kind Keeper (1780), as well as by his libretto for an opera based on Paradise Lost entitled The State of Innocence (1677), and his version of Troilus and Cressida (1695).

All plays in this collection are cataloged and represented in CUNY+ and in the Special Collections Shelf list. The primary call number is 3YQ.

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