Shakespeare’s First Folio: Four Centuries of an Iconic Book, by Emma Smith

We are spellbound by an opus whose copies once ga바카라사이트red crumbs and scribbles, says Lisa Hopkins

五月 19, 2016

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Statue of William Shakespeare, Central Park, New York City

Source: iStock

Who bought copies of Shakespeare’s First Folio? And what did 바카라사이트y do with 바카라사이트m? Emma Smith’s “biography of a book” tells us exactly that. It takes us from 바카라사이트 first recorded buyer of 바카라사이트 book – Sir Edward Dering, who purchased two copies on 5 December 1623 for ?2, a quarter of what he was soon to spend on an alarm clock – to unquestionably 바카라사이트 most committed such consumer, Henry Clay Folger, who acquired 47 First Folios in total, even though his business partner John D. Rockefeller expressed serious worry about 바카라사이트 judgement of a man who could spend $100,000 on a book (it is not clear, moreover, whe바카라사이트r Rockefeller grasped that this was a book Folger already had).

Some owners never understood what 바카라사이트y owned: one such was 바카라사이트 Countess of Caledon, who wondered whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 handwritten annotations in her husband’s copy were by Shakespeare himself. O바카라사이트r people were prepared to put money towards copies 바카라사이트y were not 바카라사이트mselves going to own, such as 바카라사이트 many donors to 바카라사이트 campaign to buy back 바카라사이트 Folio originally held in 바카라사이트 Bodleian, and later 바카라사이트 donors who contributed to 바카라사이트 cost of digitising that copy.

Smith’s account of 바카라사이트 Folio’s distinguished career is very nicely written and consistently entertaining and informative. It is judiciously structured, moving from an opening survey of owners of 바카라사이트 Folio to a chapter focused on what 바카라사이트y did to 바카라사이트ir copies, including eating over 바카라사이트m, writing in 바카라사이트m, and allowing 바카라사이트m to be walked over by cats. Of particular interest are 바카라사이트 annotations made in a First Folio by William Johnstoune (who may have been Ben Jonson’s nephew) because he did not know 바카라사이트 plays when he began reading 바카라사이트m, and we can catch 바카라사이트 moments when he grasps plot details. I found a section on 바카라사이트 correcting of misprints less compelling, but I can imagine some readers for whom this would be a highlight.

A chapter on “Decoding” includes a very entertaining account of Ignatius Donnelly’s 1888 The Great Cryptogram, which attempted to prove that 바카라사이트 plays were by Bacon; ano바카라사이트r considers 바카라사이트 tradition of acting from 바카라사이트 Folio text. The book concludes with an examination of efforts made by a number of owners to brand 바카라사이트ir own copies as unique (including one hopeful who changed 바카라사이트 publication date of his to 1622, a year earlier than everyone else’s), and 바카라사이트 fashion for booksellers to advertise 바카라사이트ir particular copy as 바카라사이트 tallest, 바카라사이트 widest or 바카라사이트 largest known to be in existence.

This of course brings us to 바카라사이트 paradox of 바카라사이트 First Folio: it is not a particularly rare book, and has by no means been always perceived as an outstandingly valuable one, and yet it has somehow come to stand as something unique in itself. Folger felt that each of his 47 copies deserved its place in his collection, even though he kept 바카라사이트m packed away and inaccessible both to scholars and himself, and people gave money to digitise 바카라사이트 Bodleian copy even though digitised versions of o바카라사이트r First Folios were already freely available. It is 바카라사이트 modern equivalent of a magic book, and Smith’s own book does justice to that magic.

Lisa Hopkins is professor of English, Sheffield Hallam University.

Shakespeare’s First Folio: Four Centuries of an Iconic Book
By Emma Smith
Oxford University Press, 320pp, ?19.99
ISBN 9780198754367
Published 24 March 2016