Shakespeare's First Folio
Book
1623 (printed and published)
1623 (printed and published)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Includes engraved portrait of William Shakespeare by Martin Droeshout.
The prefatory address ("To the Reader") is a hand-lettered ink facsimile signed 'JH/MS[?]' (possibly John Harris). Although the title-page was described as having been 'reproduced in fac-simile by Harris' when it was acquired (see List of Objects in the Art Division South Kensington, Acquired during the Year 1882 (London: printed by George E. B. Eyre and William Spottiswoode, 1882), p. 132), it seems to be printed, upon closer examination.
Binding: full leather with marbled endpapers, sewn endbands and gilded edges.
The prefatory address ("To the Reader") is a hand-lettered ink facsimile signed 'JH/MS[?]' (possibly John Harris). Although the title-page was described as having been 'reproduced in fac-simile by Harris' when it was acquired (see List of Objects in the Art Division South Kensington, Acquired during the Year 1882 (London: printed by George E. B. Eyre and William Spottiswoode, 1882), p. 132), it seems to be printed, upon closer examination.
Binding: full leather with marbled endpapers, sewn endbands and gilded edges.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Shakespeare's First Folio (popular title) |
| Materials and techniques | |
| Brief description | Book, Mr. William Shakespeares comedies, histories & tragedies : published according to the true originall copies, London: printed by Isaac Jaggard and Edward Blount, 1623. |
| Physical description | Includes engraved portrait of William Shakespeare by Martin Droeshout. The prefatory address ("To the Reader") is a hand-lettered ink facsimile signed 'JH/MS[?]' (possibly John Harris). Although the title-page was described as having been 'reproduced in fac-simile by Harris' when it was acquired (see List of Objects in the Art Division South Kensington, Acquired during the Year 1882 (London: printed by George E. B. Eyre and William Spottiswoode, 1882), p. 132), it seems to be printed, upon closer examination. Binding: full leather with marbled endpapers, sewn endbands and gilded edges. |
| Dimensions |
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| Gallery label | Treasures of the Royal Courts: Tudors, Stuarts and the Russian Tsars label text:
The First Folio, Shakespeare
1623
Shakespeare's play Twelfth Night was performed for Elizabeth's court on Twelfth Night 1601, at the time of the Russian ambassador Mikulin’s visit. It may have been the play’s première. The first collected edition of Shakespeare's plays, this book was published seven years after his death. Without this precious edition, 18 of his plays would be entirely unknown.
London
Printed by Isaac Jaggard and Edward Blount
Letterpress, ink on paper
Bequeathed by John Jones (1800–82) to the V&A
National Art Library: 1392-1882 |
| Credit line | Bequeathed by John Jones. |
| Object history | Bequeathed by John Jones in 1882. |
| Production | |
| Bibliographic references |
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| Other numbers |
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| Collection | |
| Library number | 1392-1882 |
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| Record created | October 2, 2015 |
| Record URL |
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