Shakespeare First Folio could fetch £1million
AN unrecorded First Folio of William Shakespeare’s collected works is expected to fetch between £800,000 and £1.2 million when it is auctioned by Christie’s on 25th May.
The Folio, which was among 750 published in 1623 - seven years after the playwright’s death – will go on sale along with Second, Third and Fourth Folios that came out later in the 17th century.
The sale is to be led by the unrecorded copy of the First Folio: the first collected edition of Shakespeare’s plays, widely considered to be the most important literary publication in the English language and the “Holy Grail” of publishing.
The First Folio contains 36 plays, 18 of which had not previously been printed, and which would otherwise have been lost forever.
Generally regarded as the greatest writer in the English language, Shakespeare’s plays have been translated into every major living language, and are performed more frequently than those of any other playwright. Preserved for posterity in these volumes, his plays define our knowledge of Shakespeare the man, playwright, poet and actor.
The four Folios will tour to New York from 1st to 8th April, before going on public display in London from 20th to 28th April, celebrating Shakespeare’s 400 anniversary on 23rd April before being exhibited in a pre-sale view in May.
The exhibitions will provide viewers with the rare chance to see the complete set of Folios — the earliest editions of the greatest playwright in history.
Margaret Ford, international head of books and manuscriptsat Christie’s, said: “Even four centuries after his death, Shakespeare’s plays touch and transform lives and continue to be read and performed from Albania to Zambia.
“It is deeply moving to handle the first printed record of his collected plays and to be reminded of their impact. Especially exhilarating is bringing a newly recorded copy of the First Folio to public attention, and to be able to offer a set of the Four Folios in this important anniversary year.’
Christie’s says that the copy of Shakespeare’s First Folio is one of the most desirable examples remaining in private hands. It was bought in 1800 by renowned book collector Sir George Augustus Shuckburgh-Evelyn (1751-1804) and has been hidden from public view for over two centuries. Even on publication in 1623, the First Folio was considered a privileged acquisition and would have taken pride of place on any bookshelf.
Also from the Shuckburgh Collection and appearing on the market for the first time in over two centuries are the Third Folio which was published in 1664 (estimate: £300,000 to £400,000) and the Fourth Folio which was published in 1685 (estimate: £15,000 to £20,000).
The Third Folio includes Pericles for the first time and is beautifully illustrated with Shakespeare’s iconic portrait by English engraver Martin Droeshout. It is rarer than the Second Folio because copies were lost in the Great Fire of London in the first week of September 1666 and the present copy is said to be in very fine condition.
The First Folio was a commercial success and was followed only nine years later by the Second Folio, published in 1632 and providing a page-by-page reprint of the First. The present copy of the Second Folio also contains the iconic portrait of Shakespeare by Droeshout (estimate: £180,000-250,000).
The Second Folio is celebrated as containing the first appearance in print of John Milton, whose epitaph on Shakespeare is included.
When asked if the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust would be bidding for the Folios, a spokeswoman said: “While it is very interesting to see new Folios appear on the market, especially ones so close to Stratford, the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust already cares for a significant collection of First, Second, Third and Fourth Folios, so acquiring more at auction is not one of our strategic collecting priorities at the moment.”
