Bodleians battered shakespeare first folio to be put on internet. It wasnt until four hundred years after shakespeares death that the book would be the. This book, generously illustrated with key pages from the publication and comparative works, tells the human, artistic, economic and technical stories of the birth of the first folio and the birth of shakespeares towering reputation. The bodleian library is one of europes oldest libraries has been an important part of oxford university since 1488. This book is fascinating, but not set out as easy access paragraphs, nor linked to pictures as would be a modern style text. Among the english titles listed in the very next catalog, for autumn 1622, was the shakespeare first folio. Sep 11, 2012 information about this copy of the first folio during its first residence in the bodleian comes from library records, the librarys archive of its own history. Bodleian makes these extraordinary library collections available online for the very first time. This is the copy of the first folio that was acquired by the bodleian soon after publication, in accordance with the agreement with the stationers company. The original bodleian copy of the first folio of shakespeare. Shakespeare wrote around 37 plays, 36 of which are contained in the first folio. Five surprising facts about oxfords bodleian library amreading.
Posterity can only gape at the valuesystem that held the third folio which is a pageforpage reprint of the second folio of 1632, with some corrections and some new errors to be superior to the first. If you want onestopshopping for all four folios, use miamis. The binding and the hole on the back marking where it had been chained in the library. William shakespeares first folio, the first book printed in arabic and one of only 21 surviving copies of the gutenberg bible. To learn more about what the various features mean, click on the tag and read the description at the top of the page. Browse our range of gifts and books inspired by shakespeare and shakespearean quotations. The books dont need to be rare or valuable in themselves. The most common issues dealt with by the 22 bodleian libraries conservators are detached spines, edge tears, loose pages, stuck pages, and consolidation of loose painted media. The first folio is the first collected edition of william shakespeares plays, collated and published in 1623, seven years after his death. All chicago ebooks are on sale at 30% off with the code ebook30. More first folio resources folger shakespeare library.
Dec 15, 2014 the bodleian library is home to treasures from every corner of the globe that mark major milestones in cultural history. To commemorate the 400th anniversary of william shakespeares death and to celebrate the opening of the bodleian libraries shakespeares dead exhibit, we have added our copy of the first folio to digital. The bodleians original first folio of shakespeare the. The colin franklin prize is for a collection of books that is meaningful to you. Being an english version of the bodleian library, oxford. The library has inspired many writers and has been used as a background for many movies.
Subscribe to our newsletter leave this field blank. A prodigal first folio in the winter of 1623, a copy of shakespeare s newly printed first folio arrived at oxfords bodleian library from london. The bodleian received a copy of shakespeare s first folio in 1623, but appears to have sold it at some point in the late 1660s, perhaps having replaced it with the new, improved, edition, the third folio, with its additional plays, which was published in 16634. However, just over forty years later, it left the bodleians. The bodleian s original copy of the first folio of william shakespeares plays is the subject of a campaign to stabilize the volume through a conservation program,digitize the volume, and publish it freely online. Join us at the national library as we showcase shakespeares first. You can also read the digital text, view the images alongside the digital text, see the xml. Bodleian digital library systems and services, the communications office. Bodleian library sets up in swindon books the guardian. An introduction to shakespeares first folio by dr emma smith, fellow in english, university of oxford. Bodleian libraries, university of oxford uk shakespeare, first folio, 1623 i2v shakespeare, first folio, 1623 nn4v browsing.
Pip wilcox, curator of digital special collections, bodleian libraries, university of oxford, gives a talk for the 2016 dhoxss on shakespeares first folio, held by the bodleian. The library appears to have sold it at some point in the late 1660s, perhaps having replaced it with the new, improved, edition, the third folio, with its additional plays, which was published in 16634. Bodleian library, university of oxford book list the. The story is told with flair by andrea mays in her lovely book the millionaire and the bard. Smiths close reading of shakespeares first folio reveals a trove of information. A campaign is under way to digitize and make available online the first collected edition of shakespeares plays, known as the first folio a cadre of celebrities including the actors vanessa redgrave and stephen fry and the theater director peter hall are championing the fundraising effort by the bodleian library at the university of oxford, sprint for shakespeare, which.
The digitization of the bodleian copy, with its strange and eventful history, is a great project. The bodleian library is one of the oldest libraries in europe, and in britain is second in size only to the british library. Read the book the bodleian first folio university of oxford. Without the first folio, 18 plays might have been lost forever. The copy of the first folio on display at the morgan was the one originally given to the bodleian library at oxford, england in 1623.
Scientists will capture scents of old books in bodleian exhibition. Shakespeares first folio fifteeneightyfour cambridge university. Aug 17, 2014 the copy of the first folio on display at the morgan was the one originally given to the bodleian library at oxford, england in 1623. The bodleian received a copy in 1623, but appears to have sold it in the late 1660s. To share your thoughts and ideas about this digital facsimile, or to write a guest blog post, get in touch with us. The bodleian librarys the making of shakespeares first folio. The scholar, shakespeares first folio and the generous, and.
The making of shakespeares first folio from bodleian library publishing. First opened to scholars in 1602, it incorporates an earlier library built by the university in the 15th century to house books donated by humfrey, duke. The first edition of william shakespeares collected plays was published in 1623. Read the catalogue record for this book, and the other oxford copies of shakespeares first folio. Shakespeare bodleian libraries bodleian libraries shop. Almost certainly, that entry marks the legal departure of the first folio from the bodleian. This is a clearly written account of the main issues in its printing and publication, drawing on the standard authorities. The digital facsimile and the text are published under a creative commons attribution 3. A place for online learning and discovery at the heart of oxford university. Our work on the bodleian copy of the first folio of shakespeares plays was.
Listen to folger shakespeare unlimited podcasts on multiple aspects of the first folio, read posts. Bodleian images is an online picture library which connects picture researchers and publishing editors to the most important images held within the libraries. With over 12 million items, it is the secondlargest library in britain after the british library. The book the making of shakespeares first folio, emma smith is published by bodleian library, university of oxford. Bodleians battered shakespeare first folio to be put on. As one of the worlds most famous books, located at the core of shakespeare studies, the first folio has inspired a host of folger resources. The chicago distribution center has reopened and is fulfilling orders. Scientists will capture scents of old books at bodleian. This is commonly known as the first folio and is one. This sprint for shakespeare echoes an earlier effort, over a century ago, to ensure that the book would be housed in the. The making of shakespeares first folio, smith the chicago distribution center has reopened and is fulfilling orders. About the bodleian first folio university of oxford. The university of oxfords bodleian library has been collecting and preserving cultural artifacts for more than four centuries, and now many of those materials are accessible for free online.
The turbutts offered the bodleian the chance to match the offer, and thus the first public fundraising campaign in the library s history was born. Aimed at a variety of audiences, they delve into every aspect of its story, from the first folio s creation to its portrait of shakespeare and much more. This story and many others are told by andrea mays in her book the millionaire and the bard. Some time later, it left the library and for years it. William shakespeare, the first folio bodleian treasures. To learn more about what the various features mean, click on the tag and read the description. Nineteenthcentury pen and ink facsimile of title page. What is interesting about the bodleian s copy of the first folio is that the library decided to dispose of it with the publication of the third folio of shakespeares plays in 1664.
The making of shakespeares first folio by emma smith. The whereabouts of the bodleians copy were unknown until 1905, when an undergraduate at magdalen college brought a book to a sublibrarian, on duty in the. The making of shakespeares first folio bodleian libraries. The sorrylooking volume is one of the most famous books in the world. Some time later, it left the library and for years it was lost from view. The original bodleian copy of the first folio of shakespeare the turbutt shakespeare william gladwyn turbutt. The result is the book has a complex aroma with as many layers as a fine wine, as befits one of the worlds most valuable volumes. Bodleian centre for the study of the book, bodleian. The first impression had a publication date of 1623, and the earliest record of a retail purchase is an account book entry for 5 december 1623 of edward dering who purchased two.
The making of shakespeares first folio from bodleian library publishing in late november 1623, edward blount finally took delivery at his bookshop at the sign of the black bear near st pauls of a book that had been long in the making. The scholar, shakespeares first folio, and pip willcox curator of. Aug 01, 2012 bodleians battered shakespeare first folio to be put on internet this article is more than 7 years old university library starts. Over the last 106 years, the first folio has occasionally been photographed by experts at the bodleian libraries, and, before that, by oxford university press. Find out more about the bodleians first folio, a highlight in the recent treasures of the bodleian exhibition, from dr emma smith. Publicity about the find led to the owners, the turbutt family of derbyshire, being offered. This second phase of the bodleian first folio project has been made possible by a lead gift from dr geoffrey eiblkaye and generous support from the dallas shakespeare club, mr james barber, and a private individual.
The bodleians books get a new home as millions of volumes. Sep 23, 2011 an introduction to shakespeares first folio by dr emma smith, fellow in english, university of oxford. The bodleian library has acquired a site on the outskirts of swindon for the millions of books it can no longer house in oxford maev kennedy tue 17 mar 2009 10. This is the story of gladwyn turbutt, falconer madan, strickland gibson, william wildgoose, and sir thomas bodley arent these fantastic names. Emma smith is fellow and tutor in english at hertford college, oxford. Without this book, the famous first folio, eighteen of shakespeares plays including julius caesar and macbeth would probably be lost to us. That was a very large sum, twice the market value of an ordinary copy of the first folio. It was added to the chained folio sized books in duke humfreys library, where it was openly accessible to readers. A curiosity in the bodleian first folio shakespeare ros barber.
Bodleian library, oxford ticket price timings address. Browse by going through all the images or all the tags, or by following the main tags below. Together, the bodleian libraries hold over million printed items. Folio editions were large and expensive books that were seen as prestige items. All chicago e books are on sale at 30% off with the code ebook30. Aug 01, 2012 the shakespeare first folio is the most important secular book in the history of the western world, said jonathan bate, a shakespeare scholar at oxford. More valuable than churchills cigar literary criticism tls. An effort to put first edition of shakespeare online the. This is the story of the one that got away from henry folger, collector extraordinaire of shakespeares first folios. Tales of the bodleians first folio university of oxford. A curiosity in the bodleian first folio shakespeare ros. Like all books of its time, it was typeset and printed off in sheets, meaning, in this. In the winter of 1623, a copy of shakespeares newly printed first folio arrived at oxfords bodleian library from london.
Before they laid a finger on the battered, brownleather book, the conservators at the bodleian library in oxford just sat and stared at it, working. It was added to the chained foliosized books in duke humfreys library, where it was openly accessible to readers. The bodleian first folio is a rarity for not having been rebound since it was first donated to the library in 1623. Bodleian and created a iiif manifest that allows the full structure of the book to be displayed in digiratis universal viewer. Your first time at bodleian but the place seems way too familiar. About half of shakespeares plays had never previously appeared in print, including as you like it, julius caesar, macbeth, the tempest, and many more. They are preserved here, in the first printed edition of the collected works, published after shakespeares death. May 06, 2016 the bodleian first folio is a rarity for not having been rebound since it was first donated to the library in 1623. The turbutts offered the bodleian the chance to match the offer, and thus the first public fundraising campaign in the librarys history was born. Signet great britain cover title original bodleian first folio of shakespeare spine title bodleian first folio shakespeare notes the shakespeare itself is for the present deposited by its owner in charge of mr. The bodleian contains extremely valuable manuscripts the magna carta, a gutenberg bible, shakespeares first folio to name a few.
The bodleian library in oxford received its copy of the first folio from the. It therefore is not a quick reference experience if you want to look something up about ancient beasts. Following guidance from the uk government and public health england, our libraries, shops and. The bodleians original first folio of shakespeare the conveyor. You can find out more about this books remarkable history, the campaign, and the. Some years later the first folio left the bodleian perhaps it was deemed superfluous after the acquisition of a third folio in 1664, and disposed of.
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