First Folio on Tour

For Shakespeare fans, there is no denying the benefits of living in a highly digitized-world. Library archives, filmed stage performances, scholarly works – not to mention this blog! – are all available online at the click of your mouse.

But sometimes, there’s nothing like the real thing. Case in point: the Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, DC has begun a touring exhibition of Shakespeare’s First Folio. This revered text, published in 1623, was the first publication of 36 of Shakespeare’s plays – all of which were compiled by members of his theatrical company.

Visit the Folio at the University of Virginia this month, where it compliments their current exhibition ‘Shakespeare by the Book: Four Centuries of Printing, Editing and Publishing’. You can read about both  here or view a gallery of some of the beautiful items on show at the UVA Library gallery here.