Shakespeare's First Folio: (400th Anniversary Facsimile)
(Hardback)
Available Formats
Publishing Details
Shakespeare's First Folio: (400th Anniversary Facsimile)
By (Author) William Shakespeare
Introduction by Tanya Kirk
Introduction by Adrian S. Edwards
British Library Publishing
British Library Publishing
3rd January 2024
5th October 2023
United Kingdom
Classifications
General
Non Fiction
Tragic plays
Comedic plays
Ancient, classical and medieval texts
822.33
Physical Properties
Hardback
912
Width 208mm, Height 327mm
Description
Published to mark the 400th anniversary of the book's original publication, this facsimile edition faithfully reproduces one of the finest copies held in the British Library collections.
The significance of the First Folio cannot be underestimated. It is the only contemporary source of eighteen of Shakespeare's plays. Without it, performances of such popular plays as The Tempest, Twelfth Night and Macbeth would not be possible.
Changes and corrections were made during the long printing process. Small alterations were also made to the (now iconic) portrait of Shakespeare created by Martin Droeshout for the title page. As a result, no two surviving copies of the First Folio are identical and few are complete. Of the 750 copies that were originally published, some 200 exist today. The British Library has five copies, one of which is complete, and it is this copy that is presented with an introductory booklet by curators Adrian S Edwards and Tanya Kirk.
Author Bio
Adrian S Edwards is a rare books librarian and Head of Printed Heritage Collections. Tanya Kirk is Lead Curator of Printed Heritage Collections 16011900.
