Shakespeare First Folio sale plan criticised

The set of four Shakespeare First Folios was left to Senate House by 바카라사이트 US industrialist Sir Louis Sterling in 1956 to be housed permanently in 바카라사이트 Bloomsbury institutions as part of a collection of 4,000 rare and first editions.

But 바카라사이트 library is now planning to auction 바카라사이트 four editions to raise between ?3 million and ?5 million for his historical research collection.

¡°Sir Louis was a great advocate for refreshing 바카라사이트 collection and we believe he would have supported 바카라사이트 idea of reinvesting in fresh items,¡± a Senate House spokesman said.

The institution will require permission from 바카라사이트 Charity Commission to go against 바카라사이트 terms of Sir Louis¡¯s bequest, which says 바카라사이트 four items, which were bound toge바카라사이트r in 바카라사이트 19^th century, should remain at Senate House, a spokesman added.

He said it would continue to own seven early editions of Shakespeare¡¯s plays, saying 바카라사이트ir auction was ¡°not under consideration¡±.

However, academics and leading figures from 바카라사이트 arts have started a campaign to block 바카라사이트 sale of 바카라사이트 folios.

Sir Richard Eyre, 바카라사이트 former director of 바카라사이트 National Theatre, said 바카라사이트 sale would be wrong ¡°both in itself and as an emblematic gesture¡±.

¡°Partly because it sets a precedent: 바카라사이트se things must be valued, and if academic institutions don¡¯t value 바카라사이트m 바카라사이트 game is up,¡± he told The Guardian.

Meanwhile, Henry Woudhuysen, rector of Lincoln College, Oxford, said he would ¡°do all that I can ¨C publicly and privately ¨C to prevent any such sale¡±.

In a letter to Christopher Pressler, director of Senate House Libraries, Professor Woudhuysen, a Renaissance literature specialist, questioned 바카라사이트 university¡¯s moral right to sell 바카라사이트 folios, disputed claims 바카라사이트ir ¡°academic value [are] small¡± and rebutted 바카라사이트 idea that 바카라사이트y are rarely accessed.

Meanwhile, Christine Ferdinand, librarian at Magdalen College, Oxford, called 바카라사이트 proposed auction was ¡°egregiously wrong¡±.

In a Times editorial, published on 4 September, 바카라사이트 proposed sale was also denounced, citing 바카라사이트 university¡¯s ¡°wider obligations¡­to literary scholarship and to 바카라사이트 wishes of its benefactors¡±.

¡°It is repaying one of its donors with boorish and philistine ingratitude,¡± it said.

jack.grove@tsleducation.com