Mr. William Shakespeares comedies, histories, & tragedies. Published according to the true originall copies
Contains records with digital mediaDetails
Type of record: Book
Title: Mr. William Shakespeares comedies, histories, & tragedies. Published according to the true originall copies
Classmark: BC Safe SHA
Creator(s): Shakespeare, William (1564-1616)
Additional creator(s): Bedford, Francis (1799-1883) (Bookbinder); Zaehnsdorf, Joseph William (1853-1930) (Bookbinder); Vail, Theodore Newton (1845-1920) (Former owner); Wells, Gabriel (1861-1946) (Bookseller); Condell, Henry (1627) (Editor); Heminge, John (1556-1630) (Editor); Droeshout, Martin (1601-) (Engraver); Jaggard, Isaac (1627) (Printer); Blount, Edward (1588-1632) (Bookseller); Smethwicke, John (1641) (Bookseller); Aspley, William (1640) (Bookseller)
Publisher: printed by Isaac Iaggard, and Ed. Blount
Publication city: London
Date(s): 1623
Language: English
Size and medium: 17 unnumbered pages, 303, 232 [actually 264], 2 unnumbered pages, 79-80 pages, 25 unnumbered pages, 399 [actually 288] pages
Persistent link: https://explore.library.leeds.ac.uk/special-collections-explore/33846
Printed items catalogue: https://leeds.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/fulldisplay?vid=44LEE_INST:VU1&docid=alma991005899759705181
Collection group(s): English Literature
Description
The 'first folio', with very slight imperfections. 12 3/8 x 7 1/8 inches. F.1b. 'To the reader'. [By Ben Jonson.] F.2a. Title-page. F.3a-b. 'To the most noble...'. F.4a. 'To the great variety ...'. F.5a-b. 'To the memory ...' signed Ben Jonson. F.6a. 'Upon the lines ...'. F.7a. 'To the memorie ...' signed L. Digges, and 'To the memorie ...' signed I.M. F.8a. 'The workes ...'. F.9a. 'A catalogue ...'.
Collation: [Section 1. Comedies.] Pp.[17],303. Midsummer night's dream, pp.153 and 161 respectively misprinted 151 and 163. Twelfth night, p.265 misprinted 273. A to H in sixes, I 1-6, K 1-6, L-T in sixes, V 1-6, X-Z in sixes. Aa, Bb in sixes, Cc 1-2. [Section 2. Histories.] Pp.232 [actually 264]. Henry IV part II, pp.89-90 are numbered 91-92. Richard II, p.37 misprinted 39. a-g in sixes, gg 1-8, h 1-6, i 1-6, k-l in sixes, m 1-6 (l 3 for m 3), n-t in sixes, v 1-6, x 1-6, Troilus and Cressida first two pages no sigs. then [par.] 1-6, [par.par.] 1-6, [par.par.par.], no pagination to Troilus and Cressida. [Section 3. Tragedies.] Pp.399 [actually 288]. aa-ff in sixes, gg 1-2 and gg [bis]-hh in sixes, kk-tt in sixes [tt 3 twice], vv 1-6, x 1-6, yy, y 2-6, zz 1-6, aaa 1-6, bbb 1-6.
Colophon: Printed at the Charges of W. Jaggard, Ed. Blount, I. Smithweeke and W. Aspley, 1623.
With an engraved title-page portrait of the author signed: "Martin· Droeshout: sculpsit· London." There is a shadow on the collar. An early state has no shadow.
Editors' dedication signed: Iohn Heminge. Henry Condell.
Indexed in: ESTC
Indexed in: Greg,
Indexed in: Pforzheimer,
Indexed in: West, Anthony James, The Shakespeare First Folio, vol I & II
Indexed in: Meek, Rickard, Wilson, eds., Shakespeare's Book, 2008.
Additional description
On p.309 is the ms. inscription 'Rich Ingham named but not his book'. Red morocco binding in morocco case
Features
Bindings
Leeds University Library copy at Brotherton Collection Safe SHA: nineteenth-century full red morocco, gold tooled on covers and spine, bound by F Bedford stamped in gold on upper turn-in, later [20th century] red morocco case with 2 brass latches, lined in red velvet, bound by Zaehnsdorf, London, England, gold tooled on spine of book box: Shakespeare 1623 Brotherton Collection.
Provenance
Leeds University Library copy at Brotherton Collection Safe SHA: Faint [old] MS. inscription on page 309 of The tragedie of King Lear: Richd Ingham named but not his book. Armorial bookplate on front pastedown: Sir Edward Allen Brotherton, D.L LL.D, Baronet [i.e. Lord Brotherton of Wakefield (1856-1930), who acquired the First Folio in 1924 from Gabriel Wells (1861-1946), bookseller and historian]. Wells had acquired it with the other three folios in 1922 at the Anderson Galleries, New York at the sale of the Library of Theodore N Vail on 2 May 1922 (1845-1920, Head of the American Bell Telephone Company) of New York. See Anthony West, The Shakespeare First Folio, vol II, pages 89-90; Brotherton Library Research Spotlight Shakespeare's First Folio.
Access and usage
Access
Access to this material is unrestricted.
On our website
Research spotlight: Shakespeare's First Folio
Use this resource to explore the University of Leeds Brotherton Collection digital First Folio, to find out more about the significance of the book, and the history of this particular copy.
Online exhibition: The First Folio of Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, and Tragedies, 1623
Shakespeare's "First Folio" is widely considered the most important book in English and world literature, and one of the greatest books ever published. One of the treasures of Special Collections in Leeds University Library.